RIDDLES 
^PREHISTORIC  TIMES 

JAMES  ft  ANDERSON 


c^Tx  -    /•/<'/',;,•  ~y /,,/,  //,) 


m 


THE  AUTHOR. 


RIDDLES  OF 
PREHISTORIC  TIMES 


BY 


JAMES  H.  ANDERSON 


BROADWAY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK,         BALTIMORE,        ATLANTA 

1911 


A5 


COPYRIGHT,  1911, 

BY 
JAMES  H.  ANDERSON. 


MORSE  STEPHENS 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  Five  Eras 7 

II.     Glacial  Periods 23 

III.  Primitive  Man 37 

IV.  The  Mound  Builders       ...    60 
V.  Ancient  Architects      .      .      .     .     81 

VI.     An  Age  of  Gold 97 

VII.  Builded  on  a  Rock      .      .      .      .116 

VIII.     Lemuria 126 

IX.  Before  the  Flood       .      .       .      .131 

X.  As  It  Is  Written       ....  148 

XL  In  the  Land  of  Sheba      .      .      .155 

XII.     The  Aryans 185 

XIII.  Mystics  and  Zoroastrians      .      .  196 

XIV.  Along    the    Nile    and    the    Eu- 

phrates       206 

XV.  As  the  Mongols  Think :  China     .  210 

XVI.  Where  the  Graces  Abide       .       .  219 

XVII.  In   the   Land   of  the    Midnight 

Sun 229 

XVIII.  Cromlechs  and  Round  Towers    .  237 

XIX.     Iconoclasts 251 


FOREWORD. 

This  work  is  a  kind  of  log  or  record  such  as 
sailors  keep  of  voyages  in  unknown  seas. 

For  forty  years  the  author  had  been  a  plod- 
ding lawyer,  but,  having  become  incapacitated, 
by  an  appoplectic  fit  he,  pondering  on  the  riddle 
of  existence,  compiled  this  book,  which  is  but  a 
resume  of  facts  gleaned  while  he  was  seeking  to 
know  whence  came  the  world  and  its  peoples. 

In  making  the  investigation,  the  course  pur- 
sued was  the  same  as  would  have  been  taken  in 
examining  a  law  case,  taking  notes  of  facts  found 
gathering  information  from  various  sources  like 
a  bee  gathering  material  with  which  to  load  the 
hive  from  flower  to  flower. 

More  interesting  than  any  tales  that  ever  have 
been  sung  or  said  are  the  cradle  songs,  the  ear- 
liest traditions  concerning  the  evolution  of  the 
world  from  chaos  to  existing  order. 

From  the  beginning,  man,  powerless  to  explain 
the  miracle  of  birth,  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  the 
enigma  of  death,  realized  that  there  is  some  in- 
scrutable power  that  worketh,  now  evil,  now 
good. 

As  time  went  on  and  he  contended  with  beasts 
and  his  fellows  for  subsistence  and  supremacy, 
he  became  imbued  with  the  idea  that  the  phe- 
nomena that  surrounded  him,  making  or  mar- 
ring his  comfort,  were  but  the  manifestations  of 
.various  powers  also  contending.  Gods  he  called 


6  FOREWORD 

them,  and  these  gods  were  oft  capricious,  now 
sending  soft  showers  to  cool  the  earth  and  now 
beating  down  the  tender  grass  with  heavy  rain, 
now  fructifying  every  green  thing  with  gentle 
heat  and  now  parching  herb  and  flower.  Ter- 
rible were  these  Gods  in  anger,  and  he  must  ap- 
pease them  with  protestation  and  sacrifice.  Their 
altars  now  he  crowned  with  fragrant  blossoms, 
and  now  drenched  with  blood. 

Then  came  the  great  flood,  and  populous  cities 
sank  beneath  the  waves,  and  there  were  earth- 
quakes and  mountains  belched  forth  fire  and 
smoke.  And  the  survivors  fled  far  away  to  other 
lands,  and  as  slaves,  perchance,  long  regretted 
the  splendors  of  their  fathers.  Mayhap  their 
tales  of  the  past  excited  derision  in  the  halls  of 
their  new  masters,  and  tradition  was  swallowed 
up  in  the  oblivion  of  enforced  silence. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  we  of  the  twentieth  century, 
proud  of  our  civilization  and  enlightenment,  even 
we  have  not  solved  the  picture  writing  on  the 
ancient  stones.  Little  we  know  of  primitive 
ideas  and  vast  empires  that  had  fallen  in  decay 
long  ere  Solomon  builded  his  temple  unto  the 
Lord,  or  David  sang  to  soothe  the  troubled  king. 

But  we  know  in  part  and  little  by  little,  a 
fragment  here  and  a  fragment  there,  we  are 
evolving  the  history  of  time. 

The  preparation  of  these  chapters  has  been  the 
means  of  whiling  away  the  tedium  of  many  an 
irksome  hour,  and  should  they  inspire  or  ac- 
centuate the  reader's  interest  in  things  ancient, 
then,  indeed,  the  author  may  rest  content. 


Riddles  of  Prehistoric  Times 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE    FIVE     ERAS. 

History  is  the  narration  of  a  succession  of 
events,  the  causes  and  effects  of  fundamental 
principles,  the  rise,  culmination  and  wane  of 
various  powers,  and  as  such  it  is  fraught  with 
interest,  but  the  history  of  the  earth  itself  from 
the  beginning  until  such  time  as  it  was  rendered 
fit  for  the  habitation  of  man  is  far  more  interest- 
ing than  any  monkish  chronicle  or  mediaeval 
romance. 

Stored  away  in  the  archives  of  the  nation, 
carefully  guarded  against  depredation  and  de- 
struction, are  the  annals  of  his  struggles,  the 
pean  of  her  triumphs,  the  register  of  her  defeats, 
perishable  records  at  best;  but  graven  on  tables 
of  stone  and  clay,  in  characters  that  are  scattered 
and  in  part  obliterated,  yet  capable  of  being 
welded  into  one  conforming  whole;  characters 
that  have  withstood,  in  the  main,  the  ravages  of 
time ;  characters  that  are  the  open  sesame  to  the 
mysterious  past  when  old  earth  was  young,  and 


RiDDIes  of 

have  awaited  only  the  genie  of  intelligence,  are 
evidences  whence  may  be  adduced  tales  of  prehis- 
toric marvels,  monsters  more  ingenious  than  the 
Grendel  of  Beowulf,  the  creature  of  Franken- 
stein and  peoples  who  were  forgotten  long  ere 
the  culture  of  Greece,  the  grandeur  of  Rome, 
were  begun. 

A  divine  harmony  pervades  all  things,  a  har- 
mony based  on  the  interdependence  of  all  life 
forms,  vegetable  and  animal.  There  is  nothing 
but  has  its  relative  position  in  the  scale  of  de- 
velopment, not  a  blade  of  grass  nor  a  grain  of 
sand  but  bears  mute  testimony  to  some  wonder- 
working force.  Each  individual  man  has  his 
place  and  is  necessary  to  a  complete  harmony  of 
things.  Nature  waves  her  magic  wand,  and 
the  small  brown  seed  bursts  forth  in  tender 
green,  the  silken  petaled  blossoms  that  erstwhile 
swayed  in  the  western  breeze  falls  off  and  leaves 
the  young  fruit  on  her  stem,  the  ripened  fruit  is 
at  heart  a  seed.  Minute  life  forms  have  built  up 
lofty  mountains,  and  tiny,  pattering  raindrops 
have  leveled  rocky  headlands. 

Life  began  in  a  protoplasm,  which  is  an  al- 
buminoid substance  resembling  the  white  of  an 
egg>  consisting  of  carbon,  nitrogen  and  hydro- 
gen in  complex  combinations,  and  capable,  when 
subjected  to  the  influence  of  the  sun's  heat,  of 
manifesting  certain  vital  phenomena-like  spon- 
taneous motion,  sensation,  assimilation  and  re- 
production, thus  constituting  the  basis  of  life  of 
all  plants  and  animals.  It  builds  up  every  vege- 

8 


Prehistoric  Cfme* 

'table  and  animal  fabric  in  the  world.  It  is  color- 
less, nearly  transparent  and  of  a  viscid,  semi- 
fluid consistency.  When  not  confined  by  an  in- 
vesting membrane,  it  has  the  power  of  extension 
in  every  direction. 

I  An  individual  mass  of  protoplasm,  small  in 
size,  with  or  without  a  nucleus,  or  wall,  consti- 
tutes a  cell  which  may  be  the  whole  body  of  an 
organism  or  a  structural  aggregation  of  a  num- 
ber of  multicellular  plants  or  animals.  The  ovum 
of  any  creature  consists  of  protoplasm,  and  all 
tissues  of  the  most  complex  living  organisms  re- 
sult from  the  multiplication  and  combination  of 
protoplasmic  cell  units.  The  life  of  an  organism 
consists,  as  a  whole,  of  the  continuous  waste  and 
repair  of  the  protoplasmic  material  of  its  cells. 
The  manufacture  of  protoplasm  is  a  function  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom.  Plants  make  it  direct 
from  mineral  compounds  and  from  atmosphere 
under  the  influence  of  the  sun's  light  and  heat. 
It  was  the  first  form  of  life  in  the  world.  It  be- 
gan in  the  water  as  algae,  a  low  form  of  sea- 
weed and  in  small  atomic  forms  of  life  floating 
in  the  water,  becoming  in  time  worm-like  crea- 
tures, jelly  fish,  sea  urchins,  and  crinoids. 

First,  there  was  a  jelly-like  speck,  like  that 
which  forms  the  globigerina,  which  the  deep  sea 
dredges  now  bring  up  from  the  bed  of  the  ocean. 
From  this  to  Polyp  jellies  the  road  is  not  long, 
and  from  this  to  crinoids,  fish  and  to  bloodless 
worms  seems  to  have  been  the  path  followed  by 
nature  in  development  of  life  on  the  earth.  In 


Of 

tHe  old  Silurian  Sea  there  was  an  enormous 
number  of  such  worms,  some  with  shells,  in 
which  they  were  enveloped  for  protection  like 
star  fish. 

The  first  form  of  life  on  land  seems  to  have 
been  lichens,  a  pulpy  mass  which  adhered  to  and 
grew  upon  stone  in  the  air.  The  chemical  ac- 
tion of  the  cells  detached  and  took  into  their  own 
structures  small  particles  of  rock,  which,  with 
the  decaying  body  of  the  lichen,  formed  a  bed 
of  soil  for  the  maintenance  of  life  of  a  higher 
order. 

There  may  be  traced,  step  by  step,  the  road 
from  the  speck  of  animated  jelly  to  the  most 
complicated  plant,  and  to  the  most  highly  de- 
veloped man  in  the  world.  There  is  a  wonderful 
uniformity  of  structure  in  all  forms  of  vegetable 
and  animal  life;  modifications  of  a  general  plan 
for  life  and  a  unity  of  mental  faculties  in  ani- 
mals and  men  as  well  as  in  bodily  structure. 

The  Polypi,  which  have  built  the  coral  beds, 
the  less  manifest  infusorial  animalcules,  and  the 
formifera  have  made  masses  of  rock  many 
leagues  in  extent  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean,  built 
up  to  a  height  of  hundreds  of  feet. 

The  earth  worms,  first  formed  in  water,  which 
were  among  the  earliest  created  forms  of  life 
and  which  still  survive,  have  had  a  wonderful  in- 
fluence in  the  building  up  of  the  vegetable  and 
animal  life  in  the  earth.  It  is  by  their  action 
that  the  vegetable  and  animal  life  in  the  earth 
was  prepared  to  sustain  life.  They  burrow  in  the 

10 


Cfme* 

ground  and  take  into  their  bodies  small  particles 
of  stone  with  decayed  leaves  and  roots,  and  ris- 
ing in  the  night  time  to  the  surface,  deposit  the 
castings  on  the  top  of  the  ground.  There  are 
myriads  of  them,  and  their  combined  action  in  a 
warm  country  sometimes  raise  to  the  surface  ten 
and  a  half  tons  of  such  castings  upon  each  acre 
in  a  year.  Their  action  too  opened  up  the  soil  to 
the  air  and  moisture,  and  enabled  plants  to  grow 
in  the  ground.  To  these  creatures  low  down  in 
the  scale  of  life,  man  has  thus  become  greatly  in- 
debted for  the  preparation  of  the  soil  to  enable 
him  to  subsist  in  the  world. 

The  present  outside  crust  of  the  world  is  com- 
posed of  fossilized  and  sedimentary  rocks  to  the 
thickness  of  some  100,000  feet  above  the  massive 
granite  interior,  and  was  built  strata  upon  strata, 
layer  on  layer,  in  leaves,  making  a  book  that  may 
be  opened  and  read,  as  it  were.  Some  of  the 
strata  were  built  up  in  the  bottom  of  a  quiet  salt 
sea;  others  were  formed  in  open  air  above  the 
water,  and  still  others  in  fresh  water  lakes.  Each 
separate  strata  contains  remains  of  life  that  ex- 
isted at  the  time  it  was  formed,  and,  while  but 
few  of  the  many  forms  of  life  are  preserved  en- 
tire, sufficient  appears  to  show  the  kind  of  life 
which  then  existed,  and  what  was  going  on  in  the 
evolution  of  the  world.  It  must  have  taken  a  long 
time  to  form  these  different  strata,  how  long 
may  not  be  ascertained,  but  it  could  not  have 
been  made  at  once  by  any  fiat;  it  was  built  up 
gradually. 

II 


JUDDU0  Of 

At  one  time  in  its  nebular  career  the  earth  was 
shot  off  from  the  parent  mass,  probably  the  sun, 
in  a  cyclonic,  funnel-shaped  cloud  generated  by 
excess  of  heat  and  projected  through  the  enor- 
mous gaseous  envelope  that  surrounds  the  sun, 
and  extends  some  400,000  miles  above  the  latter's 
surface.  It  was  a  whirling,  glowing  body,  a 
planet  seed,  an  egg  potentially  containing  within 
itself  the  elementary  forces  and  substances  neces- 
sary and  potential  for  its  development. 

The  sun  rotates  on  its  axis  once  every  twenty- 
five  and  one-third  days,  and  the  speed  at  the 
outer  edge  of  its  enormous  envelope  is  some  8,000 
miles  a  minute.  The  planet  seed  borne  upward  in 
this  mass  here  received  the  impetus  that  caused  it 
to  revolve  around  the  sun,  and  the  cyclonic 
agency  that  was  the  primal  cause  of  its  separation 
resulted  in  a  rotary  motion  on  an  axis,  so  that 
when  finally  it  was  shot  off  beyond  the  envelope 
it  had  acquired  two  motions.  It  was  thrown  off 
to  that  point  where  the  centrifugal  and  centri- 
petal forces  oppose  and  balance  each  other  and 
took  its  place  in  the  solar  system.  The  other 
planets  were  probably  formed  in  the  same  man- 
ner. 

In  its  passage  through  space  and  contact  with 
cold,  the  earth  hardened  and  solidified  on  its 
outer  surface,  and  as  the  crust  increased  in 
thickness  it  shrank  and  became  wrinkled  into 
folds  with  elevations  and  depressions  of  surface. 

The  rock  first  crystallized  by  the  cooling  of 
the  fluid  mass  was  granite,  born  of  fire.  This 

12 


prehistoric  Cimes 

stone  has  been  called  Plutonic  because  igneous, 
related  to  Pluto;  Azoic  because  devoid  of  life; 
massive  because  not  stratified.  It  is  the  most 
abundant  rock,  and  is  of  great  thickness,  lying 
next  the  molten  mass  of  the  earth's  interior.  It 
is  from  this  species  of  rock  that  all  other  forma- 
tions found  in  the  earth's  structure  have  been 
evolved  and  developed. 

The  giant  rocks  are  the  bones  of  the  earth,  the 
landmarks  and  records  the  past,  and  it  is  their 
unconformity,  together  with  the  changes  of  fossil 
forms  contained  in  them,  that  have  enabled  geol- 
ogists to  divide  earth's  history  into  eras  and 
ages.  There  are  five  such  eras,  each  having  its 
own  distinguishing  system  of  rock  formation: 
Eozoic,  Palaeozoic,  Mesozoic,  Cenozoic  and 
Psychozoic. 

ARCHEAN  PERIOD. 

This  period  comprises  the  Azoic  age  ere  yet 
the  lowest  forms  of  life  appeared  on  the  earth, 
and  the  Eozoic  age,  the  dawn  of  life,  and  is  the 
oldest  period  of  geological  time.  During  this 
time  was  formed  the  massive  granite  rocks  lying 
beneath  the  most  ancient  fossil-bearing,  stratified 
formations  in  the  world's  structure. 

As  the  earth  acquired  form,  there  was  pro- 
duced by  the  chemical  action  of  the  elements  con- 
tained in  the  fiery  mass,  an  atmosphere.  When 
first  formed  the  air  was  loaded  with  gases  con- 
taining the  vapor  of  every  element  which  is  vola- 
tile at  a  high  temperature.  Metals,  sulphur, 

13 


RiDQIe*  of 

chlorine,  carbon,  and  other  elements  mixed  with 
the  watery  vapor  made  a  dense,  dark,  smoky 
atmosphere. 

In  the  beginning  the  atmosphere  contained  ele- 
ments of  destruction  not  in  the  air  to-day.  Our 
air  causes  organic  matter  to  decay ;  the  primeval 
air  caused  inorganic  matter  to  rot.  In  the  air 
now  there  are  about  three  parts  of  Carbonic  acid 
gas  in  ten  thousand  parts  of  air ;  in  the  Archean 
time  the  proportion  of  carbonic  acid  gas  was 
multiplied  many,  many  times.  Mayhap  at  this 
time  darkness  was  in  truth  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth,  the  surrounding  atmosphere  being  a 
smoky  veil  through  which  light  could  not  pene- 
trate. 

The  rocks  of  this  period  are  not  stratified, 
which  is  conclusive  proof  that  the  Archaean  area, 
extending  over  Canada  and  from  New  England 
to  Georgia,  and  forming  the  axes  of  many  of  the 
great  western  mountain  ranges,  was  submerged 
at  that  time.  They  are  of  enormous  thickness, 
and  the  time  represented  by  their  formation  can- 
not be  approximated  with  any  accuracy,  though 
it  is  equal,  probably,  to  all  the  rest  of  recorded 
history. 

Before  the  close  of  the  Archaean  period,  in  the 
Eozoic  era,  we  find  evidences  of  vegetable  life, 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  lowest  forms  of  ani- 
mal life  existed. 

PALAEOZOIC  ERA. 

THe  greatest  unconformity   in  the   stratified 
14 


Cimes 

rock  series  occurs  between  the  Archaean  and 
Palaeozoic  eras.  The  time  intervening  between 
these  eras,  and  which  is  entirely  lost  to  us,  must 
have  been  a  period  of  active  progression,  for 
with  the  opening  of  the  Palaeozoic  era  we  dis- 
cover a  flora  and  fauna  far  removed  from  and 
more  highly  organized  than  those  of  Archaean 
times. 

The  strata  of  the  Palaeozoic  era  embraces 
three  systems:  I,  the  Silurian,  first  studied  in 
Wales  and  called  the  age  of  Molluscs  or  Inver- 
tebrates; 2,  the  Devonian  system,  best  studied  in 
Devonshire  and  called  the  age  of  Fishes;  3,  the 
Carboniferous  or  coal-bearing  system,  which  is 
the  age  of  Acrogen  Plants  and  Amphibian  Ani- 
mals. 

SILURIAN  SYSTEM— AGE  OF  INVERTE- 
BRATES. 

The  only  plants  found  in  the  Silurian  system 
are  of  the  lowest  order,  but  animals  are  more 
numerous.  Among  the  latter  are  Corals  and  a 
specie  of  Hydroza ;  the  Chambered  Nautilus,  en- 
deared to  us  by  poet's  song,  was  very  abundant, 
also  worms.  But  most  abundant  were  the  Crus- 
tacea. 

DEVONIAN   SYSTEM— AGE  OF  FISHES. 

Atmospheric  conditions  being  more  favorable, 
there  is  a  considerable  increase,  both  in  number 
and  kind,  of  land  plants,  and  insects  first  appear. 
The  Crustacea  decrease  in  number,  and  diminish 

15 


Of 

in  size,  and  strange  Devonian  fishes  swarm  in 
the  waters. 

CARBONIFEROUS  SYSTEM— AGE  OF 
ACROGENS  AND  AMPHIBIANS. 

In  this  age  was  accumulated  nearly  all  the  coal 
discovered  and  used  by  man  ages  after.  There 
is  a  great  abundance  of  flora  of  the  conifer  and 
fern  varieties,  plants  of  the  first  order  being 
allied  to  the  yew.  Ferns,  however,  were  most 
abundant,  appearing,  to  untrained  eyes,  more 
like  cacti  than  anything  else. 

These  coal  formations  may  be  regarded  as 
doubly  utilitarian;  not  only  are  they  to  be  con- 
sidered as  an  accumulation  of  fuel  for  future 
generations  and  an  aid  to  commercial  inter- 
course and  manufacturing  enterprise,  but  as  an 
efficacious  aid  in  preparing  the  earth  for  the  use 
of  man.  The  vast  amount  of  carbon  requisite 
for  the  formation  of  our  extensive  coal  meas- 
ures was  extracted  from  the  murky,  gaseous  air, 
purifying  it. 

Insects  are  more  abundant,  there  being  an  in- 
creased vegetation,  and  the  horseshoe  crab,  a 
higher  type  of  Crustacea,  appears.  Fishes  re- 
main, not  so  numerous  as  in  the  Devonian,  and 
air-breathing  vertebrates  creep  upon  the  earth. 
These  vertebrates  were  amphibians,  gill-breath- 
ing and  lung-breathing,  and  represent  a  higher 
form  in  evolution  than  the  fish.  These  animals 
were  not  small  and  soft-skinned  as  in  our  frog, 

16 


Cimes 

but  large  and  covered  with  scalelike  plates,  their 
heritage  from  their  piscatory  progenitors. 

The  period  of  unconformity  or  transition  be- 
tween the  Palaeozoic  and  the  succeeding  era  has 
been  called  the  Permian  period,  because  the 
rocks  were  first  studied  in  Russia,  in  the  ancient 
kingdom  of  Permia.  The  remains  are  neither 
abundant  nor  diversified.  In  this  period  were 
formed  the  gypsum  and  salt  deposits,  which  are 
among  the  most  important  elements  in  the  econ- 
omy of  the  life  which  was  to  appear  on  the  earth 
subsequently.  Salt  with  its  chemical  action  is  an 
important  agent,  exciting  nervous  energy;  gyp- 
sum, too,  is  an  important  element  in  the  building 
up  and  the  preservation  of  animal  life. 

A  principal  constituent  of  gypsum  is  a  mineral 
substance  called  Apatite,  which  gives  strength 
and  vigor  to  the  plants.  It  is  dissoluble  in  acids ; 
in  the  minute  rootlets  of  plants  an  acid  is  se- 
creted which  dissolves  the  Apatite  in  the  soil  so 
that  it  may  be  absorbed  by  capillary  action. 
When  the  plant  containing  Apatite  is  consumed 
by  men  or  animals  it  provides  material  to  give 
strength  and  vigor  to  the  frame  and  to  form  tis- 
sue. No  vertebrate  animal  can  exist  without  a 
supply  of  it ;  it  has  an  important  function  in  the 
nutrition  of  nerve  substance.  Of  the  mineral 
part  of  the  body  structure,  75  per  cent  is  apa- 
tite, and  in  the  brain,  which  is  the  center  of 
nervous  activity,  apatite  is  a  principal  substance. 

It  has  a  crystallization  of  its  own,  and  it  is 
found  in  gypsum,  lime  stone,  sand  and  other  sub- 

17 


of 

stances.  It  gives  plants  the  stability  to  maintain 
an  erect  position,  and  it  furnishes  to  straw,  grass 
and  other  plants  the  glassy  shell  around  it,  and  to 
animals  the  enamel  of  the  teeth.  The  function 
of  the  soil  to  supply  proper  and  life-giving  food 
for  animals  depends  in  large  part  upon  the  quan- 
tity of  apatite  contained  in  it.  If  it  is  not  re- 
placed as  it  becomes  exhausted,  and  the  plants 
become  weak,  puny  and  degenerate,  likewise  the 
men  and  animals.  With  an  abundant  supply  of 
this  material  in  the  soil,  men  and  nations  have 
become  strong,  vigorous,  energetic  and  able  to 
attain  a  high  degree  of  civilization.  The  times 
when  these  elements  were  deposited  in  the 
earth's  structure  and  placed  in  position  to  be 
available  for  the  use  of  plant  life  was  an  im- 
portant one  for  man.  The  diminution  of  apatite 
may  have  been  the  cause  of  the  decay  and  death 
of  many  of  the  nations  which  have  passed  away 
in  the  bygone  ages,  of  which  there  may  be  found 
so  many  evidences  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

MESOZOIC  ERA— AGE  OF  REPTILES. 

But  a  little  way  back,  in  times  that  in  our  ig- 
norance we  have  termed  ancient,  unlettered  men 
would  crowd  about  the  traveler  and  give  cre- 
dence to  his  tales  of  fiery,  flying  serpents;  and 
some  believed  and  others  mocked,  but  many 
would  have  stoned  him  for  firing  the  brain  of 
youth  with  his  chimerical  fancies,  leading  them 
from  the  plough  and  the  pruning  hook  to  the 

18 


THE   MESOZU1C   AGE    FOR   PREHISTORIC   MAN. 

\Riddles  of  Prehistoric   Times.— p.  18) 


12>rciri0torir  Ctme0 

uncertainties  and  storms  on  sea  and  dangers  in 
hostile  lands. 

And  now  we  know  that  the  traveler  who  stood 
idle  in  the  market  place  on  fair  days  and  holi- 
days, waiting  glad  weather  or  a  belated  brig,  was 
but  weaving  the  warp  of  imagination  in  the  woof 
of  fact.  Perchance  in  his  wanderings  over  burn- 
ing deserts,  beyond  the  seas  and  across  the 
mountains,  he  had  alighted  on  some  gigantic 
footprint  or  rude  flint  work! 

For  in  the  Mesozoic  era  huge  reptiles  swam 
in  the  waters  and  crawled  upon  the  land,  rep- 
tiles that  would  have  put  to  shame  the  dragon  of 
the  fairy  tale. 

This  era  is  divided  into  three  periods:  I,  The 
Triassic;  2,  the  Jurassic,  splendidly  developed  in 
the  Jura  Mountains ;  3,  the  Cretacious,  noted  for 
chalk  accretions. 

In  the  Triassic  period  the  corals  develop  still 
higher  forms,  and  the  reptiles  are  allied  to  mam- 
mals. 

In  the  Jurassic  we  find  more  coal;  the  crus- 
tacea  and  the  insects  rise  in  the  scale  of  develop- 
ment. Here  the  reptiles  culminate  and  may  be 
divided  into  three  great  classes:  I,  Marine 
Saurians;  2,  Land  Saurians;  3,  Winged  Sau-ri- 
ans. 

The  marine  saurians  were  monsters  thirty  to 
forty  feet  long  whose  limbs  were  suitable  for 
swimming. 

The  land  saurians  were  Brobdingnagian  crea- 
tures, the  largest  that  have  ever  walked  the 

19 


Of 

earth.  Many  had  powerful  hind  legs,  on  which 
they  walked  bird-like,  balancing  itself  by  its 
massive  tail.  The  forelegs  were,  in  many  in- 
stances, short. 

The  winged  saurians  were  distinguished  by 
diverse  characteristics,  being  allied,  in  some  re- 
spects, to  the  reptile,  in  others  to  the  bat,  and 
in  still  others  to  the  bird. 

The  earliest  known  bird,  the  Archaeopteryx 
by  name,  possessed  many  reptilian  characteris- 
tics. 

Such  mammals  as  were  found  in  this  period 
were  not  true  mammals,  but  marsupials,  exempli- 
fied to-day  by  the  kangaroo  and  the  opossum. 

In  the  Cretacious  period  hard-wood  trees  are 
introduced,  and  our  oaks  and  maples,  our  hick- 
ories and  beeches  were  classified.  The  toothsome 
oyster  appears,  and  the  fishes  become  more  like 
their  descendants  of  to-day.  The  reptiles  and 
the  birds  are  of  incredible  size. 

CENOZOIC  ERA— AGE  OF  MAMMALS. 

This  era  has  been  divided  into  two  periods,  the 
Tertiary  and  the  Quaternary. 

Among  the  flora  of  the  Tertiary  the  same 
genera  grew  farther  north  than  now,  indicating 
a  warmer  temperature.  The  Arctic  waters  were 
warm  and  swarming  with  life  and  in  the  now 
snow-covered  Greenland  the  vegetation  was  sim- 
ilar to  that  indigenous  to  Florida  to-day. 

Gradually  the  temperature  grew  colder,  until 
there  came  a  time  when  the  summer  sun  failed 

20 


Cfmeg 

to  melt  the  winter  snow,  and  ice  which  accumu- 
lated from  year  to  year  so  as  to  cover  the  face 
of  each  hemisphere  far  down  toward  the  equator. 
There  appear  to  have  been  warm  and  genial 
periods  interspersed  between  these  cold  periods. 

Oysters  were  thirteen  inches  long,  eight  inches 
wide  and  six  inches  thick,  and,  flowering  plants 
being  abundant,  insects  are  flying  about,  seeking 
honey  or  what  may  have  served  as  honey,  then 
as  now.  The  sharks  ruled  the  sea,  some  of  them 
being  sixty  feet  long.  Reptiles  no  longer  pre- 
dominate ;  the  reptilian  birds  disappear  and  the 
typical  existing  genera  are  found. 

But  this  is  the  age  of  mammals.  Great  herds 
of  mammoths  and  mastodons,  giant  horses  and 
oxen  roamed  over  the  land. 

The  Quaternary  period  is  especially  interesting 
to  us,  for  then  it  was  that  man  first  appeared  ; 
and  a  weak,  undeveloped  creature  he  was,  un- 
able to  subdue  the  massive,  forceful  beasts  that 
invaded  the  very  caves  where  he  sought  shelter 
and  safety. 

In  this  period  there  were  great  changes  in  cli- 
mate and  in  species;  great  upheavals  of  the 
earth's  crust  took  place,  and  the  land  was  ice- 
bound almost  to  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico. 

PSYCHOZOIC  ERA— AGE  OF  MAN. 

The  echoing  cave,  rough-hewn  by  erosion, 
was  the  shrine,  to  keep  which  inviolate  man 
braved  the  savage  tusks  of  the  mammoth  and 

21 


EUDDle*  of 

the  cruel,  wide-branching  antlers  of  the  rein- 
deer. His  only  weapons  were  crude  stone  im- 
plements, chipped  at  first,  but,  as  the  lust  for 
battle  grew  strong  within  him  and  the  chase  sup- 
plied him  with  provisions,  he  regarded  his 
weapons  with  a  feeling  akin  to  veneration,  and 
his  leisure  time  was  spent  in  polishing  them. 
After  the  gormandizing  that  succeeded  the  cap- 
ture and  killing,  primitive  man  would  indulge 
in  a  prolonged  siesta  much  after  the  habit  of  his 
animal  foes.  Awaking,  he  would  fashion  new 
implements  for  another  day,  chanting  the  while, 
mayhap,  many  a  rude  epic.  Perchance  the  prim- 
itive children  listened  as  he  sang  and  scarce 
could  bide  the  time  till  they,  too,  should  excel 
in  prowess! 

By  the  opening  of  the  Psychozoic  era  man 
had  so  far  advanced  in  the  social  scales  as  to 
hold  periodic  tribal  gatherings;  he  has  already 
perceived  that  in  union  is  strength.  He  has  do- 
mesticated animals,  and  his  implements  are 
highly  polished.  He  has  forsaken  his  solitary 
cave  for  the  communal  mounds  and  cliffs  and 
the  lake  buildings,  and  has  laid  by  his  old  stone 
battle  axe  for  one  of  shining  bronze. 


prehistoric 


CHAPTER  II. 

GLACIAL    PERIODS. 

In  the  strata  of  the  earth  there  appear  evi- 
dences that  at  various  times  in  the  earth's  his- 
tory there  have  been  succeeding  periods  of  ex- 
treme cold  and  heat.  These  strata  show  that 
many  times  there  were  formations  in  the  earth's 
structure  which  had  been  laid  under  the  surface 
of  the  sea  and  interspersed  between  such  strata 
are  beds  which  were  formed  above  the  water. 
It  has  been  the  subject  of  speculation  in  the 
minds  of  scientific  men  as  to  what  caused  the 
rising  and  falling  of  the  water.  How  did  it 
come  about  that  the  fossilized  rock,  formed  un- 
der the  sea,  and  the  immense  coal  beds  and  land 
formations  above  the  water  were  made?  The 
strata  showing  vegetable  remains  were  made 
when  the  land  was  above  water,  the  coal  being 
formed  in  a  warm,  moist  atmosphere  in  a  marsh 
or  swamp. 

The  theory  which  is  obtaining  most  credence 
was  advanced  by  James  Croll  of  the  Royal 
Scotch  Geological  Society.  His  explanation  is 
at  once  simple  and  complete,  partly  geological 
and  partly  astronomical;  it  is,  in  short,  that  the 

23 


Hi D Dies  of 

heat  of  the  sun  is  in  proportion  to  its  distance 
from  the  earth. 

In  Croll's  work  on  Climate  and  Time  in  their 
geological  relations,  he  claims  that  the  orbit  of 
the  earth  around  the  sun  is  not  round  but  ellipti- 
cal, that  the  ellipse  of  the  earth's  revolutions  is 
constantly  changing,  eccentricity  of  the  earth's 
orbit  being  the  change  of  length  of  the  orbit  as  it 
revolves  around  the  sun.  When  the  earth  thus 
in  its  revolution  gets  a  long  distance  from  the 
sun  less  heat  is  given  to  the  earth,  and  it  be- 
comes colder.  The  elongations  are  produced  by 
the  attractive  force  of  other  celestial  bodies,  as 
the  earth  approached  them  in  their  journeyings 
through  the  skies.  Jupiter,  being  the  largest  of 
the  planets,  had  the  most  attractive  force  to  pull 
the  earth  into  an  elongated  orbit.  He  has  cal- 
culated the  difference  of  eccentricity  for  one 
million  of  years  in  the  past  and  for  the 
same  length  of  time  in  the  future.  The  eccen- 
tricity is  now  some  3,000,000  miles;  fifty  thou- 
sand years  ago  it  was  but  2,250,000  miles;  one 
hundred  thousand  years  ago  the  ellipse  was 
elongated  to  8,500,000  miles. 

Two  hundred  thousand  years  ago  it  was  10,- 
250,000  miles ;  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
years  ago  it  was  8,000,000  miles;  four  hundred 
thousand  years  ago  it  was  about  the  same  as 
now.  Seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  years 
ago  it  was  7,500,000  miles ;  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  years  ago  it  was  13,500,000  miles; 
and  a  million  years  ago  it  was  2,750,000  miles. 

24 


Prehistoric  Cfmes 

At  times  of  the  greater  eccentricity  there  were 
long,  cold  winters  in  one  hemisphere  and  short, 
hot  summers.  This  would  cause  a  glacial  period 
in  that  hemisphere. 

Mr.  Croll  thus  accounts  for  glacial  periods  and 
changes  in  the  level  of  the  waters  which  are  re- 
corded in  the  rock  strata  of  the  earth.  His  cal- 
culations lead  him  to  conclude  that  the  climate 
on  the  earth  will  not  vary  in  the  next  150,000 
years  to  any  great  extent. 

It  was  at  the  time  of  the  greater  eccentricity 
of  the  earth's  orbit  when  the  glacial  periods  took 
place.  At  these  times  the  ice  and  snow  at  one 
pole  were  piled  up  probably  several  miles  high; 
in  the  northern  hemisphere  an  arctic  climate  ex- 
tended south  probably  to  thirty  degrees  north 
latitude.  This  immense  cap  of  ice  and  its  weight 
shifted  the  center  of  gravity  of  the  earth,  and 
caused  the  water  in  the  oceans  to  flow  north- 
ward, covering  the  land  in  the  northern  hemis- 
phere which  before  had  been  above  water,  so 
that  instead  of  a  subsidence  of  the  land  to  permit 
the  formation  of  stratified  layers,  it  was  the  ris- 
ing of  the  water  over  the  land  which  caused  the 
effect,  it  being  evident  that  at  each  glacial  period 
the  raising  of  the  waters  followed  close  upon  the 
formation  of  the  ice. 

Each  layer  of  stratified  rock  is  probably  the 
result  of  an  ice  period  which  has  taken  place  in 
each  twenty  thousand  years  of  the  world's  ca- 
reer. About  ten  such  periods  back,  210,000 
years,  was  one  of  the  maximum  periods  of  ec- 


of 

centricity.  It  was  a  time  of  the  great  summer 
in  the  northern  hemisphere,  when  the  southern 
hemisphere  was  experiencing  a  severely  cold  cli- 
mate. Over  the  latter,  almost  to  the  tropics,  was 
a  vast  sheet  of  ice  and  snow.  It  reached  far  into 
Brazil;  it  covered  southern  Africa  and  lapped 
over  India  and  into  Australia. 

The  marks,  scored  into  the  solid  stone,  show 
how  far  it  pushed  north.  In  Patagonia  the 
marks  are  away  from  the  sea  toward  the  north, 
up  the  mountains.  There  was  then  much  more 
land  above  the  water  in  the  Northern  Hemis- 
phere. When  five  thousand  years  passed  there 
was  a  great  thaw  in  the  southern  hemisphere, 
and  the  waters  returned  to  the  northern  seas. 
Lands  became  submerged  which  had  been  above 
water.  Ice  began  to  form  near  the  Arctic  Pole, 
and  after  a  time  the  land  and  water  became 
equalized  in  the  two  hemispheres  and  the  climate 
substantially  the  same  in  both.  When  some  five 
thousand  years  more  passed,  there  came  a  period 
of  the  greatest  cold  in  the  northern  hemisphere. 
The  winters  became  twenty-eight  days  longer 
than  the  summers.  The  earth  was  10,500,000 
miles  farther  from  the  sun  in  winter  than  in 
summer,  and  the  temperature  probably  attained 
a  mean  of  60  degrees  below  zero,  carrying  the 
present  temperature  of  Greenland  as  far  south 
as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

When  one  hemisphere  has  a  glacial  period  the 
other  has  a  much  milder  climate.  Owing  to  the 
precession  of  the  equinoxes,  the  condition  of 

26 


Prehistoric  Cime$ 

things  in  the  two  hemispheres  are  reversed  in 
about  10,600  years. 

An  extreme  condition  of  cold  came  to  the 
southern  hemisphere  about  700  years  ago.  In 
about  9,900  years  from  now  the  northern  hemis- 
phere will  be  in  the  midst  of  a  cold  period,  when 
the  winter  will  be  long  and  the  summer  short 
and  hot. 

The  center  of  gravity  of  the  earth  is  the  cen- 
ter of  the  globe.  Excess  of  weight  of  land  or 
ice  on  one  part  must  perforce  be  compensated  in 
some  way  on  the  other.  We  find  that  there  are 
some  44,000,000  square  miles  of  land  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  while  in  the  southern 
hemisphere  there  are  but  16,000,000  square 
miles.  Humboldt  has  estimated  that  if  the 
mountains  in  Asia  were  leveled  the  uniform 
height  of  land  in  Asia  would  be  about  1,150  feet 
above  the  sea ;  in  Europe  it  would  be  670  feet ;  in 
North  America  750  feet.  The  average  would  be 
about  920  feet  above  the  sea  level.  In  the 
Northern  Hemisphere  there  is  an  excess  of  some 
28,000,000  square  miles  of  land,  which  has  to 
be  balanced  by  some  corresponding  weight  in  the 
southern  hemisphere. 

Around  the  Antarctic  pole  there  are  some 
8,000,000  square  miles  of  ice.  On  every  side  of 
it  mountains  of  ice  thousands  of  feet  high  block 
the  approach  to  the  pole.  If  there  was  ice  to  the 
height  of  2^  miles  piled  over  that  space,  it 
would  compensate  in  weight  the  excess  of  ele- 
vated land  in  the  Northern  Hemisphere.  It  has 

27 


Kin  Dies  of 

been  estimated  that  the  melting  of  ice  one  mile 
in  thickness  at  the  southern  pole  would  be  to 
raise  the  sea  level  in  the  northern  hemisphere  at 
50  degrees  north  latitude  280  feet.  If  2.^/2  miles 
of  ice  and  snow  now  existing  about  the  Antarctic 
pole  were  melted  and  an  equal  quantity  of  ice 
and  snow  were  formed  about  the  Arctic  pole,  it 
would  have  the  effect  of  raising  the  sea  level  at 
50  degrees  north  latitude  about  500  feet.  So 
that  in  about  10,000  years  from  now,  the  Polar 
conditions  about  the  Arctic  and  Antarctic  poles 
will  be  reversed  and  land  at  some  50  degrees 
North  Latitude,  less  than  400  feet  above  the  sea 
level  will  be  submerged. 

The  southern  seas  will  be  drained  to  the 
north,  by  the  shifting  of  the  center  of  gravity  of 
the  earth.  New  lands  enriched  with  the  sedi- 
ment of  the  sea  for  a  hundred  centuries  will 
rise  out  of  the  waters  in  the  southern  seas,  and 
old  islands  now  submerged  will  once  again  ap- 
pear above  the  surface  of  the  water.  The 
northern  hemisphere  will  again  be  covered  by 
the  sea,  as  has  often  been  the  case  in  the  past, 
and  new  strata  will  be  formed. 

At  the  time  of  the  glacial  period  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  some  11,200  years  ago,  the 
inhabitants  were  driven  southward  or  destroyed 
by  the  flood  of  waters.  The  barrow  people  of 
Northern  Europe  and  the  mound  builders  of 
America  were  probably  so  driven  from  the  coun- 
tries inhabited  by  them  and  exterminated.  The 
waters  of  the  great  deep  breaking  up  out  of  the 

28 


Cime0 

Around  have  been  described  in  the  legend  of  the 
flood  as  recorded  in  the  Bible. 

DRIFT. 

There  are  found  in  many  parts  of  the  world, 
above  the  deposits  of  stratified  rock,  boulder 
clay,  sand  and  gravel  rocks  which  have  no  re- 
lation to  the  native  stone,  and  which  have  been 
carried  there  evidently  by  some  powerful  agency. 
These  deposits  have  been  called  drift,  and  this 
drift  varies  in  thickness. 

In  places,  there  has  been  found  boulder  clay 
loo  feet  thick ;  in  some  places,  on  top  of  this  are 
clays  and  sand  containing  fossils  of  varying 
thickness  up  to  50  feet,  and  sometimes  contain- 
ing the  remains  of  buried  forests ;  on  the  top  of 
this,  hard  pan  of  glacial  clay  up  to  90  feet  deep ; 
then  black  clay  with  fragments  of  wood  some 
15  feet  thick;  then  gravel,  sand  and  till  or  hard 
pan,  and  above  all  the  surface  soil. 

These  indicate  that  at  various  times  the  land 
was  covered :  First,  by  an  ice  sea  that  deposited 

flacial  clay  and  gravel  as  it  melted;  second,  the 
Donation  of  a  fresh  water  lake;  third,  a  long 
period  during  which  the  climate  was  warm  and 
dense  forests  grew;  fourth,  another  glacial 
period;  and,  fifth,  another  subsidence  under  the 
sea. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  cause  of  the 
glacial  periods  in  the  Tertiary  was  an  elevation 
of  land  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  bed  of  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans  which  made  a  dam  or 

29 


Biddies  of 

wall  to  prevent  the  flow  of  the  warm  currents 
from  the  Equatorial  regions  toward  the  poles. 
This  kept  the  equatorial  waters  very  hot,  caus- 
ing evaporation,  which,  when  it  came  toward  the 
poles,  condensed  into  rain,  snow  and  ice,  making 
an  ice  cap  at  the  pole. 

That  these  elevations  were  such  that  it  made 
a  bridge  of  land  for  passage  of  man  and  ani- 
mals between  Asia  and  Alaska,  and  from  Nor- 
way to  Iceland,  the  Orkneys  and  Greenland  is 
hardly  probable,  for  if  the  Atlantic  plateau  was 
elevated  above  water  such  a  bridge  must  be 
farther  south.  If  there  existed  such  a  bridge 
from  Portugal  to  the  Madeira  Islands  or  from 
Africa  to  the  Canary  Islands,  thence  over  to  the 
West  Indies,  it  would  be  a  means  of  accounting 
for  many  similarities  in  life  and  culture  we  find 
to  have  existed  in  prehistoric  times  on  both  sides 
of  the  oceans. 

There  appears  to  have  been  a  gradual  lower- 
ing of  temperature  at  the  end  of  the  Tertiary 
period,  and  this  change  of  temperature  affected 
the  higher  latitudes  of  the  old  and  new  world. 
It  reached  such  a  degree  of  cold  that  the  whole 
of  the  North  of  Europe  as  far  south  as  Saxony 
and  North  America  south  nearly  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  were  icebound. 

Considerable  local  differences  may  be  observed 
in  the  nature  and  succession  of  the  several  de- 
posits of  the  glacial  period  as  they  are  traced 
from  district  to  district.  It  is  hardly  possible  to 
determine  in  some  cases  whether  certain  portions 

30 


Prefri0tonc  Cime$ 

of  the  deposits  are  coeval  or  belong  to  different 
epochs. 

Sometimes  the  climate  became  so  cold  that 
the  conditions  of  Modern  Northern  Greenland 
extended  as  far  south  as  the  southern  part  of 
England  and  Ireland,  and  across  Central  Eu- 
rope as  far  south  as  Spain  and  Italy,  and  nearly 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  North  America,  and  to 
India  in  Asia.  Then  followed  a  considerable 
depression  of  the  land  and  the  spread  of  cold 
Arctic  water  over  the  submerged  parts  of  the 
land  with  abundant  floating  ice  containing  bould- 
ers, etc. 

Gradually  the  temperature  in  the  Northern 
Hemisphere  increased,  the  ice  melted  away,  and 
there  came  a  return  of  the  milder  climate.  As 
the  ice  floated  south,  its  path  may  be  traced  in 
the  markings  it  left  on  the  face  of  the  stone  in 
place.  The  ice  sheet  was  so  thick  that  it  made 
its  way  across  the  hills  and  valleys  as  if  there 
was  no  depressions. 

The  ice  left  immense  deposits  of  boulder  clay 
or  till  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  as  the  ice 
melted.  This  deposit  is  not  uniform,  but  varies 
greatly  in  thickness.  The  boulders  in  many  cases 
have  been  transported  long  distances,  always 
from  the  North  toward  the  South ;  some  of  these 
boulders  have  been  polished  on  the  flat  side, 
manifestly  produced  by  friction  when  being 
pushed  along  by  the  ice.  This  deposit  is  not 
uniform.  Beds  of  sand,  gravel,  fine  clay  oc- 
cur in  different  platforms  of  the  beds,  and  some- 

31 


of 

times  with  strata  of  surface  soils,  as  if  between 
the  glacial  periods  there  had  been  warm  inter- 
vals. 

The  granite  boulders  vary  in  size  from  gravel 
up  to  immense  blocks.  They  do  not  appear  to 
have  the  rounded  appearance,  which  they  would 
if  rolled  along  by  the  action  of  a  flood  of  water ; 
some  of  them  have  rubbed  surfaces  as  if  they 
had  been  held  fast  and  forced  over  some  hard 
surface,  as  if  they  had  been  frozen  in  place  and 
dragged  over  the  hard  ground.  The  boulder 
clay  contains  no  fossils. 

The  origin  of  this  material  has  been  a  puzzle 
to  geologists.  The  most  approved  theory  has 
been  that  they  were  of  glacial  origin,  the  ma- 
terial having  been  taken  up  and  frozen  into  a 
huge  mass  of  ice,  and  carried  from  the  North 
toward  the  equator  by  floating  ice. 

The  drift  in  California,  Brazil,  Australia  and 
in  the  Ural  Mountains  sometimes  contains  gold, 
platinum  and  jewels  of  various  kinds,  diamonds 
and  the  like;  sometimes  tin  and  copper  ore  is 
found  in  the  drift.  The  absence  of  marine  fos- 
sils forbids  the  conclusion  it  was  formed  under 
the  sea. 

There  have  been  found  in  many  different 
places  in  Siberia,  and  in  Alaska  the  bodies  of 
the  hairy  mammoth  and  other  animals  imbedded 
in  ice,  frozen  intact  just  as  they  were  in  life,  as 
if  they  had  been  suddenly  congealed.  There  was 
no  lapse  of  time  between  their  death  and  the 
freezing,  else  purification  and  decomposition 

32 


Preinr0toric  Cimes 

would  have  affected  them.  Even  the  stomachs 
have  been  found  to  contain  the  undigested  food 
they  had  eaten.  Some  of  them  have  been  found 
erect,  standing  as  they  stood  in  life.  They  seem 
to  have  perished  suddenly,  turned  to  ice  at  the 
time  of  death,  with  hair,  flesh  and  skin  intact. 

The  stratified  Drift  of  Alabama  and  Missis- 
sippi varies  from  a  few  feet  to  a  depth  of  200 
feet.  It  forms  the  body  of  most  of  the  hills. 
The  materials  are  pebbles,  clays  and  sands  of 
various  colors,  from  white  to  deep  red  tinged 
with  peroxide  of  iron,  which  sometimes  cements 
the  pebbles  and  sand  into  compact  rocks.  The 
fossils  are  few  in  some  cases,  probably  derived 
from  the  underlying  formations.  Well  worn 
pebbles  are  found  in  the  stratified  drift.  Clays, 
gravel  and  sand  containing  cypress  stumps,  drift 
wood  and  mastodon  bones  are  characteristic. 

About  three-fourths  of  Ohio  is  covered  with 
a  drift  deposit  to  a  depth  of  300  feet,  the  aver- 
age in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state  not  be- 
ing less  than  50  feet  and  in  the  center  of  the 
state  not  less  than  25  feet.  It  filled  the  valleys 
of  the  earlier  drainage  system,  in  many  cases 
obliterating  all  traces  of  their  existence.  The  till 
is  filled  with  boulders ;  sometimes  blocks  are 
present  showing  200  feet  above  the  old  surface 
ground.  Stratified  drift  occurs  over  an  immense 
area  of  Brazil,  over  the  whole  of  the  provinces 
of  the  Rio,  in  the  northeastern  coast  provinces 
and  in  the  valley  of  the  Amazon,  westward  to 
the  confines  of  Peru.  Not  only  on  the  hills,  but 

33 


of 

in  the  lower  valleys,  deposits  of  immense  boul- 
ders of  trap  and  gneiss,  evidently  the  morraines 
of  former  glaciers  were  first  described  by  Prof. 
Agassiz. 

In  India  there  are  evidences  of  the  action  of 
a  glacial  period.  At  the  time  of  the  drift  the 
animals  which  belonged  to  a  warm  climate  such 
as  the  mammoth,  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros, 
the  hippopotamus  and  the  cave  bear,  ended  their 
careers  in  the  northerly  temperate  zones  in  both 
the  old  and  the  new  hemispheres. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  merging  of 
plants,  animals  or  men  between  the  time  before 
the  drift  and  that  following  it.  There  was  more 
likelihood  that  because  of  their  superior  intelli- 
gence, some  of  the  people  should  have  escaped 
and  survived  the  drift  period. 

The  North  American  and  European  animals 
of  this  period  are  nearly  alike.  The  remains  of 
huge  elephant-like  creatures  have  been  found  in 
Siberia  and  Alaska,  near  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  in 
Warren  County,  New  Jersey,  in  Missouri  and 
Kentucky.  There  were  found  in  this  drift  some 
skulls  of  men — one  in  the  Cave  of  Engis  near 
Leige,  France.  It  is  a  fair  average  skull,  and 
represents  a  civilized  man.  In  another  cave  in 
the  Neanderthal,  near  Hochdole,  was  found  a 
human  skull,  which  is  nearly  ape-like.  It  be- 
longed to  a  man  not  far  removed  from  the  brute. 
The  Engis  skull  was  arched  with  a  full  frontal 
brain  pan,  while  the  other  was  flat,  almost  like 

34 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

that  of  a  serpent,  with  projecting  bones  around 
the  eye  cavities. 

After  having  occupied  the  caves  for  a  long 
time,  the  type  of  men  as  suggested  by  the  Nean- 
derthal skull  disappeared,  and  with  him  vanished 
many  types  of  animals  with  which  he  was  asso- 
ciated. Above  the  remains  of  such  cave  men  in 
France,  Denmark  and  England,  there  appears  a 
thick  deposit  of  stalagmite,  the  remains  in  some 
of  the  caves  being  12  feet  in  thickness.  Above 
this  deposit  of  stalagmite  appears  cave  earth  as 
if  it  had  been  washed  in  under  water.  Above 
this  appears  the  remains  of  animals  and  of  men 
of  an  entirely  different  character  to  those  whose 
remains  are  found  under  the  stalagmite. 

At  Watzikon,  Zurich,  a  piece  of  lignite  was 
found  containing  basket  work,  together  with  the 
remains  of  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros  beneath 
glacial  deposits  and  over  other  glacial  deposits. 

Near  Brandon,  England,  implements  with 
bones  in  brick  earth  were  found  beneath  chalky 
boulder  clay.  In  New  Jersey  Prof.  C.  C.  Abbott 
found  rough  stone  implements  under  unstratified 
beds  of  gravels,  clay  and  boulders. 

At  Saint  Acheul,  France,  there  have  been 
found  flint  implements  of  human  manufacture; 
over  this  there  is  a  bed,  five  or  six  feet  thick,  of 
sandy  marl,  and  over  this  a  bed  of  gravel  from 
one  to  two  feet  thick;  on  top  is  surface  earth 
five  feet  thick.  Under  all  this  sand  and  gravel 
lay  the  evidences  of  the  handiwork  of  man.  The 
bones  of  the  wild  horse,  the  mammoth,  the  wild 

35 


Ill D Dies  Of 

bull,  and  rhinoceros  were  found  with  it.  Trees 
were  found  imbedded  in  the  sand  and  gravel 
along  with  the  bones  of  these  animals  and  hu- 
mans. 

At  Rose  or  Cemetary  Hill,  Maryland,  under 
about  5  feet  of  the  original  surface  on  top  of 
drift,  a  stone  battle  axe  weighing  7^2  pounds 
was  found.  It  measured  8^  inches  long,  754 
inches  across  the  widest  edge  of  the  blade,  2^ 
inches  through  in  the  thickest  part,  and  tapers 
gradually  from  the  blade  to  the  hole ;  it  is  sharp- 
pointed  like  the  Ancient  Celtic  stones  found  in 
the  British  Islands. 

In  this  cave  long  bones  split  to  extract  the  mar- 
row, showing  the  presence  of  man,  were  found. 
Other  Belgium  and  French  caves  have  yielded 
similar  remains. 

Primitive  man  contented  himself  with  the 
products  of  the  ground,  the  chase  and  the  water, 
and  used  overhanging  rocks  and  caves  for 
dwelling  places.  They  were  small  of  stature, 
something  akin  to  the  Esquimaux  or  the  bush- 
man  of  South  Africa. 

In  a  cave  called  Frou  de  la  Nanlette,  near 
Dinant,  Belgium,  a  human  jaw  bone  having 


THE    PSYCHOZOIC   AGE   FOR    PREHISTORIC    MAN. 

( /i  id  dies  of  Preh  istoric   Times— p.  j6 ) 


c  Cimes 


CHAPTER  III. 

PRIMITIVE  MAN. 

Hunting  was  the  earliest  occupation  of  man. 
Hunters  were  a  wandering  class  of  men  who 
subsisted  on  what  they  could  kill.  They  were 
brute-like  and  cruel,  and  lived  in  constant  war- 
fare, their  only  ideas  being  to  procure  food  for 
subsistence.  When  they  were  successful  in  pro- 
curing prey,  they  feasted  and  slept ;  when  they 
were  not,  they  went  hungry.  Their  condition  in 
life  remained  stationary.  There  was  little 
growth  or  development  for  the  man  hunter.  He 
consumed  what  he  could  get  as  fast  as  he  pro- 
cured it;  his  life  ended  as  it  began. 

The  first  men  were  probably  small  in  stature, 
dark  skinned,  with  dark  hair  and  eyes,  with 
small  heads,  longer  from  front  to  back  than 
across ;  low  foreheads,  with  projecting  ridges 
around  the  eyes;  powerful  jaws,  strong  teeth; 
and  with  arms  and  legs  adapted  to  climbing 
trees.  They  congregated  together  for  protec- 
tion. They  ate  fruits,  nuts  and  the  animals 
which  they  could  kill.  They  were  emotional, 
mercurial,  passionate,  brute-like  in  body  and 
mind, 

37 


RiDDIes  of 

Gradually  men  came  down  from  their  elevated 
abodes  in  the  trees,  and  sought  shelter  in  over- 
hanging rocks  and  caves.  The  record  of  their 
lives  in  the  caves  is  written  in  the  debris  which 
they  left  on  the  floors  of  the  caverns.  These  re- 
mains have  been  carefully  explored,  and  it  has 
been  thereby  ascertained  how  these  people  lived, 
what  animals  they  subsisted  on,  what  tools  and 
implements  they  had. 

In  the  beginning  men's  ideas  were  few  and 
words  limited  in  number.  Probably  a  few  grunts 
and  growls  sufficed  to  express  their  feelings  or 
desires.  As  men  associated  together,  communi- 
cation of  ideas  became  necessary,  and  they  were 
impelled  to  articulate  speech. 

Social  bonds  were  strengthened  by  the  de- 
pendence of  the  young  upon  the  parents  for  pro- 
tection. This  helplessness  excited  sympathy  and 
love  on  the  part  of  the  parents  and  developed 
the  higher  attributes  of  mind,  unselfishness  and 
the  protecting  regard  and  care  for  others.  Be- 
coming more  sociable,  they  rose  in  the  scale  of 
intelligence.  The  experience  and  wisdom  of  one 
generation  laid  the  foundations  for  a  more  ex- 
tended knowledge  in  those  following.  Man's 
brain  development  is  the  result  of  his  physical 
and  mental  activity.  When  man  first  invented 
an  implement  he  entered  upon  the  highway 
which  led  to  all  his  future  development. 

Man  alone  acquired  the  upright  position.  He 
learned  to  stand  upon  his  feet.  This  left  his 
hands  free  to  grasp  and  handle  things.  By  lift- 

38 


prehistoric  Cime0 

ing  things  up,  he  was  able  to  examine  and  learn 
something  about  them,  and  it  gave  to  him  a  per- 
fection of  hand,  without  which  he  never  could 
have  won  lordship  over  the  earth. 

His  first  weapon  was  probably  a  broken  stick 
or  club.  He  learned  to  throw  a  stone ;  he  learned 
the  use  of  fire.  Probably  his  first  fire  was  from 
the  lightning  setting  fire  to  a  tree.  He  preserved 
the  fire,  and  would  not  permit  it  to  go  out.  He 
afterwards  learned  to  make  a  fire  by  the  friction 
of  two  pieces  of  wood.  He  learned  to  use  flat 
stones  to  separate  the  skin  from  the  flesh  of  ani- 
mals he  slaved,  and  then  to  fashion  and  sharpen 
such  scrapers. 

He  learned  to  load  his  clubs  with  stone  to 
make  a  more  formidable  weapon.  Gradually  he 
learned  the  best  manner  of  fastening  the  stone 
end  of  his  club.  This  club  acquired  a  settled 
form,  and  stones  were  shaped  so  as  to  hold  the 
handle.  He  learned  how  to  use  a  bow,  to  throw 
missiles  at  enemies  or  prey;  in  time  he  learned 
to  shape  arrow  heads  and  spear  heads  from 
stone.  He  learned  to  think  and  plan.  Each 
step  attained  improved  his  mind  and  strength- 
ened his  self-dependence. 

There  are  three  conditions  that  all  men  have 
tread  in  their  course  from  savagery  toward  civ- 
ilization. First,  hunting,  fishing  and  gathering 
fruits  and  nuts;  second,  domesticating  animals 
and  acquiring  flocks  and  herds ;  and,  third,  agri- 
culture. 

These  steps  are  nothing  more  or  less  than  im- 

39 


Bio  Dies  of 

proved  methods  of  obtaining  food.  More  and 
better  food  meant  better  men,  longer  lives  and 
a  more  numerous  people. 

When  men  first  domesticated  animals,  it  must 
have  been  in  a  temperate  climate  where  pastures 
were  good  and  afforded  subsistence  for  herds 
and  flocks.  This  led  to  a  wandering  life  with 
the  herds.  It  also  led  to  ideas  of  personal  own- 
ership in  his  animals,  and  in  slaves,  who  assisted 
him  in  the  care  of  his  flocks.  It  was  not  neces- 
sary in  this  state  of  existence  to  practice  or  de- 
velop any  of  the  arts  of  a  settled  life,  particu- 
larly the  building  of  permanent  habitations ;  the 
tent  was  the  shelter.  This  mode  of  life  gave 
some  leisure  in  which  man  could  study  his  sur- 
roundings and  contemplate  the  skies.  The  sun 
and  moon  were  probably  the  first  objects  of  won- 
der ;  then  came  the  other  stellar  bodies.  To  the 
ancient  shepherds  we  are  indebted  for  the  origin 
of  modern  astronomy. 

Men  began  to  cultivate  the  soil,  and  agricul- 
ture increased  the  food  supply  and  gave  oppor- 
tunity to  men  to  use  their  minds  with  thoughts 
of  other  things.  It  stimulated  them  to  live  to- 
gether in  communities;  it  led  to  settled  habita- 
tions and  stable  conditions.  When  food  and  the 
necessaries  of  life  were  brought  forth  in  abun- 
dant quantities  and  a  surplus  rose,  it  gave  men 
opportunities  to  cultivate  his  facilities  in  other 
channels.  It  led  to  a  social  intermingling  of  the 
people  and  a  desire  for  comforts  and  luxuries 
and  the  means  of  gratifying  these  desires. 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

Men  increased  in  the  communities  and  civili- 
zation progressed ;  communities  grew  rich  and 
luxurious.  Such  seems  to  have  been  the  course 
of  civilization  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Civiliza- 
tion shows  some  remarkable  similarities  of 
thought,  idea  and  result,  though  far  removed  in 
point  of  distance. 

The  earliest  centers  of  civilization  were  prob- 
ably in  genial  climates  where  there  was  a  supply 
of  water  and  the  means  of  obtaining  food  by 
agriculture.  As  food  grew  abundant  and  the 
mind  of  man  expanded  with  the  influence  of  a 
constant  supply  of  necessaries,  he  progressed  in 
condition  and  in  mind.  He  increased  and  multi- 
plied. He  brought  new  lands  into  cultivation. 
He  opened  up  the  avenues  of  communication 
with  other  men  by  land  and  by  water.  Towns 
grew  up  with  all  the  beneficial  influence  of  ac- 
cumulated wealth  and  settled  leisure.  This  pro- 
duced acquired  tastes  and  desires  for  luxury, 
and  stimulated  the  growth  and  importance  of 
centers  of  such  civilizations. 

When  he  had  begun  to  acquire  the  power  to 
reason,  and  saw  the  phenomena  of  life,  man 
wondered  how  it  came  about.  He  saw  the  re- 
production of  man  and  animals  and  plant  life. 
He  ascribed  it  to  the  sun's  influence. 

In  all  the  ancient  world  conceptions,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  frog  represented  the  creative 
parts  of  nature,  the  egg,  the  passive,  and  the  ser- 
pent, the  wisdom  and  the  destructive. 

In   India,   Assyria,   Egypt,   Greece,   with   the 

41 


of 

Chinese,  the  Celts,  the  Mayas,  and  the  Aztecs,  a 
standing  stone  was  the  symbol  used  by  phallic 
worshippers.  The  obelisks  and  the  round  col- 
umns in  Egypt,  Central  America,  and  else- 
where, the  May  pole  around  which  the  peoples 
in  ancient  times  danced  in  the  springtime  festi- 
vals, were  symbols  of  the  same  kind;  church 
steeples  are  probably  but  an  outgrowth  of  the 
same  symbol. 

From  the  contemplation  of  life,  sleep,  dreams, 
swoons  and  death,  primitive  man  realized  there 
was  an  unseen  something  which  animated  ani- 
mals and  men,  and  that  this  something  was  pres- 
ent during  waking  hours,  but  it  could  depart 
from  the  body. 

There  arose  in  his  mind  an  idea  that  this 
something  was  an  intangible  shape  or  phantom 
that  could  go  and  come,  an  animating,  separ- 
able, surviving  spirit,  without  which  the  body 
was  inert  and  incapable  of  motion.  When  it  re- 
turned life  was  restored.  It  was  thus  that  the 
idea  of  a  soul  or  spirit  grew  up  in  the  minds  of 
men  and  that  this  animating  soul  or  spirit  con- 
tinued to  exist  after  death,  free  from  the  body. 

The  notion  that  the  spirit  continued  to  exist 
after  death  gave  rise  to  the  idea  of  fairies,  elves, 
goblins,  and  genie.  The  belief  existed  that 
there  were  small  beings  which  peopled  the 
woods,  who  had  the  power  to  disappear  in  the 
ground.  In  the  moonlight  they  danced,  and  they 
could  kill  the  animals  and  children  of  those  who 
offended  them.  Sometimes  they  would  steal 

42 


Cfmc0 

children  and  leave  one  of  their  own  instead, 
which  so  resembled  the  stolen  child  that  even  the 
mother  would  be  deceived.  This  belief  was 
prevalent  in  all  parts  of  the  world  among  an- 
cient peoples. 

Disease  was  ascribed  to  the  possession  of  the 
body  by  demons,  causing  illness,  convulsions,  and 
delirium,  in  which  the  patient  was  animated  by 
some  spirit  other  than  his  own.  The  events  and 
accidents  of  life  were  accounted  for  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  acts  of  demons  who  were  believed 
to  pervade  the  universe.  These  spirits  were  con- 
ceived to  be  the  souls  of  deceased  men,  and  the 
worship  of  such  and  sacrifices  to  propitiate  and 
make  evilly  disposed  spirits  friendly  became  a 
common  practice.  This  grew  into  fetishism  and 
idolatry;  spiritual  beings,  guardian  angels, 
friendly  spirits,  the  spirits  of  ancestors  were 
thought  to  influence  the  lives  of  men  for  good  in 
all  the  various  relations  of  life.  This  was  the 
popular  belief  in  Egypt  and  Arabia.  The  Amer- 
ican Indians  believed  their  medicine  men  could 
take  the  shape  of  birds. 

In  Japan  it  was  thought  that  the  sorcerers 
could  transform  themselves  into  badgers.  The 
sorcerers  of  Honduras  could  transform  men  into 
beasts.  In  Lapland,  it  was  believed  that  witches 
could  change  themselves  into  swans,  crows,  fal- 
cons, and  geese.  Among  the  bushmen  in  South 
Africa,  the  sorcerers  were  thought  to  be  able  to 
assume  the  form  of  jackals  and  other  beasts.  In 
Paraguay  the  sorcerers  claimed  they  could 

43 


HiODIe0  of 

transform  men  into  tigers.  In  Central  Africa  a 
chief  could  change  himself  into  a  lion,  kill  any 
one  he  wanted  to  be  rid  of,  and  then  resume  his 
natural  shape. 

There  was  a  belief  among  people  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  that  men  were  changed  temporarily 
or  permanently  into  wolves  and  other  animals. 
It  usually  was  to  the  animal  most  prominent  in 
that  locality  where  the  belief  found  credence.  In 
Denmark,  Sweden,  Norway,  and  Iceland  the 
bear  competed  with  the  wolf  for  prominence ;  in 
Persia  and  Russia  the  bear  was  supreme;  in 
Japan  it  was  the  fox;  in  Antolia  and  India  it 
was  the  serpent  and  the  tiger ;  in  Abyssinia  and 
Borneo  the  hyena  and  the  lion;  in  Africa  the 
lion  and  the  alligator;  in  Western  Africa  the 
leopard ;  among  the  Abipones  the  tiger  cat ;  and 
among  the  Celts  the  hare.  The  gods  of  the  An- 
cient Hindus,  Persians,  Greeks  and  Teutons 
were  thought  to  have  the  power  of  transforming 
themselves  into  animals  and  of  changing  men 
and  women  into  beasts  and  fishes. 

The  belief  in  the  relationship  between  men 
and  animals  account  for  and  explain  many  of 
the  myths  and  superstitions  of  early  man.  In  all 
parts  of  the  world  there  existed  in  the  minds  of 
ancient  men  a  belief  in  the  kinship  of  men  to 
various  animals.  It  may  have  taken  root  in  the 
consideration  of  the  dispositions  of  men,  certain 
individuals  having  the  disposition  and  nature  of 
animals.  One  man  would  have  the  disposition 
and  tendencies  of  a  wolf,  and  he  would  be  called 

44 


€ime$ 

a  wolf;  another  would  have  the  disposition  and 
character  of  a  fox,  or  bear,  or  snake,  or  any 
other  animal,  and  would  be  called  after  the  ani- 
mal he  resembled.  His  descendant  would  thus 
belong  to  the  clan  or  totem  of  the  animal  for 
which  he  had  been  named.  It  is  still  the  custom 
among  many  savage  people  to  give  such  names 
for  that  reason. 

In  Australia  the  natives  believe  the  wild  dog 
has  the  power  of  speech.  The  Breton  peasants 
think  birds  have  a  language  in  their  songs,  and 
try  to  interpret  it.  The  old  English  and  Arabian 
superstitions  about  the  language  of  beasts  still 
survive.  The  idea  found  expression  in  the 
totems  of  the  inhabitants  of  Northwestern 
America  and  in  the  Pacific  Islands. 

The  belief  that  various  tribes  of  men  were 
descended  from  certain  animals  led  to  marriage 
laws  among  savage  people.  No  man  might 
marry  a  woman  of  the  same  animal  descent. 
People  might  not  eat  the  flesh  of  the  animal 
from  which  they  had  descended.  These  ideas 
prevailed  in  Australia,  on  the  west  coast  of 
Africa,  in  America  from  Alaska  to  Peru,  in  Si- 
beria, in  Canada  and  in  India. 

A  totem  is  a  material  object,  usually  an  animal, 
which  a  savage  regards  with  superstitious  rever- 
ence, believing  that  there  exist  between  it  and 
every  member  of  the  clan  an  intimate  and  special 
relation.  The  representation  of  the  totem  was 
often  painted  or  tattooed  upon  the  body  and 
upon  his  weapons  and  clothing. 

45 


BiDDle*  of 

The  totem  was  an  idol,  a  deity  of  the  tribe  or 
clan.  The  clan  believe  themselves  descended 
from  the  totem  and  all  of  them  related.  The 
Iroquois  Indians  of  North  American  believed 
themselves  descended  from  a  turtle;  the  Choc- 
taws  from  the  crayfish ;  and  the  Osages  from  a 
snail  father  and  a  beaver  mother.  Some  of  these 
tribes  of  Western  Australia  believe  they  are  de- 
scended from  ducks,  some  from  geese,  and  some 
from  swans. 

In  Senegambia  each  family  is  descended  from 
an  animal,  like  the  hippopotamus,  a  scorpion,  or 
some  other  animal  which  they  regard  as  kindred. 

Where  a  vegetable  was  a  totem  the  savage 
regards  it  in  the  same  manner.  Among  the 
mountain  chains  of  Formosa  each  clan  keeps  its 
totem  tiger  or  serpent  in  a  cage.  Among  the 
snake  clan  in  South  Australia,  they  sometimes 
make  pets  of  their  totem  serpent.  In  a  pigeon 
clan  in  Samoa,  pigeons  are  carefully  kept  and 
fed.  Among  the  Kalong  in  Java,  whose  totem 
is  the  red  dog,  each  family  keeps  one  of  these 
animals,  and  they  will  not  permit  it  to  be  ill- 
used  by  any  one.  The  snake  clan  of  Asia  Minor, 
the  Ophiogenes,  believe  that  if  they  were  bitten 
by  a  snake,  by  putting  a  snake  to  the  wound  it 
would  soothe  the  inflammation  and  heal  the  bite. 
The  same  claim  was  made  by  conjurers  in 
Northern  Africa,  Sicily,  Cyprus  and  Italy. 

It  was  thought  the  totem  animal  gave  omens 
to  the  clansmen.  If  the  clan  were  going  to  war 
and  the  totem  animal  led  or  followed  them,  it 


THE  CLAN   TOTEM   OP   THE   BRITISH   COLUMBIA   INDIAN. 

(Riddles  of  Prehistoric  Times— p.  46) 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

was  an  auspicious  sign;  if  it  crossed  their  path, 
it  was  a  sign  that  they  must  turn  back.  Totem- 
ism  has  been  found  in  South  America  from 
Patagonia  to  Columbia  and  Venezuela.  In  Si- 
beria the  Yakuts  are  divided  into  totem  clans. 
There  are  traces  of  it  in  China  and  in  the  Philip- 
pine Islands.  It  existed  in  Egypt  with  the 
Semites  and  the  early  Greeks  and  Latins. 

It  was  but  natural  that  man  should  ascribe  to 
animals  a  like  soul  or  spirit  which  animated  him- 
self, which  seemed  an  explanation  for  many  of 
the  strange  and  striking  phenomena  of  nature 
which  they  could  observe.  The  idea  of  such  a 
soul  or  spirit  was  among  his  earliest  conceptions. 
He  imagined  every  spring  of  water,  every  brook, 
every  glen,  the  trees,  to  be  peopled  with  like 
spirits. 

There  was,  too,  among  man's  early  concep- 
tions, the  idea  of  evil,  unfriendly  spirits.  The 
spirits  of  enemies  were  looked  up  as  demons  and 
devils,  while  dead  friends  became  friendly 
spirits. 

Offers  of  food  to  show  love  and  to  appease 
anger  was  general.  All  over  the  world  in  an- 
cient sepulchral  mounds  may  be  found  weapons, 
tools,  and  various  kinds  of  utensils  buried  with 
the  dead.  This  demonstrates  that  the  survivors 
believed  in  an  existence  of  the  soul  after  this 
life;  these  things  would  be  useful  to  the  spirit 
of  the  departed  in  some  other  state  of  existence. 

There  was  a  belief  in  the  power  of  second 
sight.  Those  gifted  with  this  power  were  sup- 

47 


EUDDle*  of 

posed  to  be  able  to  foretell  future  happenings. 
A  person  with  such  power  was  a  conjurer,  sor- 
cerer or  magician.  The  power  to  see  spirits  was 
not  confined  to  man,  but  horses,  and  dogs,  and 
other  animals  could  see  things  which  could  not 
be  seen  by  all  men.  The  belief  that  dogs  had 
an  instinctive  foreknowledge  of  death  was  wide- 
spread, which  event  would  be  predicted  by  the 
dog  howling. 

Among  savage  peoples  any  phenomena  was 
considered  as  a  capricious  act  of  some  hidden  or 
unknown  power  capable  of  doing  harm,  which 
spirit  was  personified  in  a  particularly  ferocious 
animal — a  tiger,  a  lion,  a  great  serpent,  an  ob- 
ject of  fear  and  dread,  which  might  be  concili- 
ated and  propitiated  by  sacrifices.  When  men 
were  afraid  they  would  bring  food  as  an  offer- 
ing, that  they  might  obtain  immunity  and  bring 
themselves  blessings  by  gorging  with  food  the 
thing  feared.  In  time  these  offerings  were  con- 
veyed to  its  object  through  the  conjurers,  the 
sorcerers,  the  wise  men,  the  priests  who  so  much 
better  understood  what  would  pacify  the  evil 
power. 

The  idea  of  the  beneficial  influence  of  sacrifice 
was  thus  early  inculcated.  Food  was  set  apart 
for  the  deceased  ancestor  when  the  ancestor  had 
become  deified ;  and  a  burnt  offering  of  flesh  was 
supposed  to  be  acceptable  to  the  deified  God 
which  men  had  thus  created.  Even  hu- 
man sacrifices  were  offered.  Such  a  concep- 
tion of  a  God  was  the  crude  idea  of  a  brutal  and 

48 


Prehistoric  Cimeg 

% 

savage  man.  The  altar  was  generally  an  ele- 
vated point  from  which  the  God  could  easily  and 
without  interruption  get  a  good  smell  of  the 
sacrifice.  In  Genesis  mention  is  made  of  the 
erection  of  many  altars,  some  of  which  were  for 
incense  and  some  for  burnt  offerings. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  River  are  to 
be  found  many  ancient  altars,  as  well  as  in  Mex- 
ico and  in  South  America,  usually  in  high  places. 
The  God  was  thought  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
essence,  the  savor  of  it;  the  party  making  the 
offer  could  consume  the  substance.  Human  sac- 
rifice probably  led  to  cannibalism,  which  existed 
among  most  primitive  and  savage  tribes. 

The  house  father  represented  the  departed  an- 
cestors, and  stood  in  their  place,  being  respon- 
sible to  the  deceased  ancestors  for  his  conduct  in 
managing  the  affairs  of  the  family.  A  place  was 
made  at  the  family  board  for  the  dead  house 
father,  and  food  was  provided  for  him.  For  any 
wrongful  act  in  administration  the  house  father 
was  liable  to  the  vengeance  of  the  powerful  de- 
parted ancestor  spirits. 

The  power  of  public  opinion  was  a  powerful 
factor  in  those  ancient  days,  and  doubtless  ex- 
ercised a  powerful  influence  over  the  domestic 
despot.  The  house  father  was  not  permitted  to 
act  according  to  his  own  caprice,  but  had  to  call 
a  council  of  the  family  and  relatives.  In  this  re- 
spect the  family  was  the  prototype  of  the  clan. 
This  method  is  prevalent  to-day  in  India  and 
among  the  southern  Slavonians.  A  single  fam- 

49 


HfDDlC0  Of 

ily,  including  several  generations,  hold  all  things 
in  common,  food,  worship,  and  estate  being  un- 
der the  control  of  the  house  father.  This  repre- 
sents the  primitive  socialistic  institution.  The 
domain  of  the  family  was  held,  cultivated,  and 
the  produce  was  owned  in  common ;  there  were 
meals  in  common  and  a  common  wealth.  Indi- 
vidual rights  were  unknown.  As  time  passed 
the  house  father  expanded  into  the  head  of  the 
clan,  the  sheik,  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  the  ruler 
of  the  nation,  by  the  simple  process  of  evolution. 

Instances  of  the  growth  of  this  system  may  be 
found  in  Egyptian  and  Peruvian  governments. 
With  the  Aztecs,  the  dominion  of  the  Monte- 
zuma  was  not  absolute;  the  lands  of  the  Mon- 
arch and  the  Church  were  cultivated  by  the  peo- 
ple as  a  whole.  The  remaining  lands  were  di- 
vided at  stated  periods  among  the  heads  of  the 
families.  A  part  of  all  produce  went  into  the 
public  storehouse  under  the  control  of  the  mon- 
arch. Among  the  Creek  Indians  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  United  States  the  cultivated  lands 
were  the  property  of  all  the  people,  divided  into 
separate  lots  and  apportioned  to  the  separate 
families,  but  a  portion  of  all  agricultural  produce 
and  the  spoils  of  the  hunter  was  placed  in  the 
public  storehouse  for  the  use  of  all  the  people 
when  necessary.  These  public  stores  were  under 
the  control  of  the  Mico  Sachem  or  Chief  of  the 
tribe;  the  Mico  was  invested  also  with  spiritual 
authority. 

The  members  of  each  tribe  viewed  themselves 

50 


Cfmes 

as  kindred  descended  from  a  common  ancestor. 
When  it  became  necessary  to  choose  a  leader  in 
war,  the  choice  naturally  fell  upon  those  deemed 
to  have  an  hereditary  claim  to  authority,  but  it 
was  election  by  all  the  heads  of  households. 

The  Irish  sept  and  the  Highland  clan  have 
the  same  rules.  The  modern  city  of  Calcutta  in 
India  is  but  an  aggregation  of  separate  villages 
or  clans.  The  fine,  sept,  or  clan  bore  the  name 
of  some  ancient  ancestor.  Traces  of  this  system 
may  be  found  in  France  and  in  Germany,  as  well 
as  in  England. 

In  ancient  times  people  seem  to  have  practiced 
cannibalism;  probably  in  the  first  place  this  was 
the  consequence  of  famine.  It  also  may  have  re- 
sulted from  the  idea  that  in  some  magical  man- 
ner the  strength,  the  bravery,  the  energy  of  the 
slain  enemy  would  be  assimilated  if  used  as  food. 

Then,  again,  the  practice  may  have  grown  out 
of  the  offering  of  human  sacrifice.  The  gods 
were  pleased  with  the  essence,  the  odor  of  the 
burnt  sacrifices,  while  the  devotees  partook  of 
the  substances,  ate  the  flesh  and  drank  the  blood 
of  the  victim. 

As  men  emerged  from  savagery  they  appre- 
ciated the  horror  of  the  practice,  and  discontin- 
ued it,  and  it  gradually  died  out  as  men  became 
civilized. 

Away  back  in  early  times,  probably  on  As- 
gard,  or  Atlantis,  some  man,  gazing  at  night  at 
the  starry  heavens,  wondered  if  there  was  any 
order  in  the  wanderings  of  the  high  orbs  of 

SI 


of 

light  hung  in  the  sky  and  determined  to  watch 
and  investigate.  He  was  the  first  astronomer. 
The  sun  and  moon  undoubtedly  became  the  first 
objects  demanding  his  attention. 

Among  all  the  ancient  nations,  Chaldeans, 
Persians,  Hindus,  Chinese  and  Egyptians,  we 
find  the  seven  days  of  the  week  were  in  uni- 
versal use,  and,  what  is  more  wonderful,  we 
find  that  each  of  the  nations  named  the  days  of 
the  week  after  the  seven  known  planets,  num- 
bering the  sun  and  moon  among  the  planets.  It 
is  found,  too,  that  the  order  is  not  based  on  the 
distance  or  brilliancy,  nor  does  the  first  day  of 
the  week  coincide  among  the  different  nations, 
but  the  order  they  follow  each  other  is  invariably 
the  same  in  all.  This  indicates  that  the  planets 
were  discovered  and  the  seven  days  of  the  week 
were  named  by  some  ancient  primitive  people. 

The  return  of  spring  and  the  revivification  of 
the  world  was  a  time  of  gladness  and  delight. 
To  be  able  to  anticipate  it  from  astronomical  re- 
searches was  an  object  of  earnest  investigation. 
It  was  found  that  the  entrance  of  the  sun  into 
the  equinox,  reducing  to  equality  the  length  of 
the  day  and  night,  always  heralded  the  coming 
of  spring.  Hence  to  watch  the  equinoctial  point 
among  the  fixed  stars  and  to  note  the  place  of 
some  brilliant  star  in  the  early  morning  dawn, 
that  should  announce  the  approach  of  the  sun  to 
the  equator  and  was  early  accomplished  with  all 
possible  accuracy. 

These    astronomers    left    no    written    record, 

52 


prehistoric  Cime0 

tablet,  or  other  record  of  their  observations  and 
discoveries.  There  is  an  occasional  notice  of 
phenomenal  astronomical  occurrences  among  the 
Greek  and  Roman  poets. 

The  people  of  India  have  a  strictly  elemental 
heaven  or  sky,  which  they  worship  as  divine, 
as  well  as  their  God,  Dyaus  Varuna.  The  Zeus 
of  the  Greeks,  the  Jupiter  of  the  Romans,  the 
Zio  or  Tyr  of  the  German,  Tew  of  the  Chinese, 
and  Thor  of  the  Norsemen  bear  traces  of  the 
same  origin. 

In  those  primitive  ages  the  heavenly  bodies 
were  regarded  with  feelings  little  less  than  we 
now  bestow  upon  the  Creator  as  we  conceive 
him.  The  sun,  especially  as  Lord  of  Life  and 
Light,  was  regarded  with  a  feeling  of  adora- 
tion. 

Our  American  flora  which  began  in  the  Cre- 
taceous period  spread  in  the  tertiary  age  to  Eu- 
rope on  one  hand  and  to  China  and  Japan  on 
the  other.  This  could  have  only  taken  place 
when  the  continents  were  connected.  The  char- 
acteristic plants  of  this  flora  have  been  found 
fossilized  on  the  upper  Missouri,  in  Mackenzie 
River  Valley,  Disco  Island,  Greenland,  Iceland, 
the  Island  of  Hull  and  on  the  continent  of  Eu- 
rope as  far  south  as  Italy.  No  collection  of  Ter- 
tiary plants  has  been  made  in  Japan  and  China, 
but  the  living  flora  of  these  countries  contain  a 
large  number  of  species  similar  to  those  early 
forms. 

From  the   evidences   we   may  conclude   that 

53 


UiDDIcs  of 

there  was  a  people  who  inhabited  the  United 
States  in  the  long  ago,  who  had  developed  suffi- 
ciently to  have  grown  wealthy  by  agriculture. 
They  passed  away,  and  another  agricultural  peo- 
ple occupied  the  land  who  in  turn  were  suc- 
ceeded by  the  American  Nomad  Indians  found 
here  when  the  Europeans  came. 

Primitive  men  in  Europe  and  North  Amer- 
ica were  associated  with  the  same  animals,  and 
lived  in  the  same  way. 

The  earliest  inhabitants  of  Europe  seem  to 
have  been  the  Constadt  race,  so  called  from  a 
skeleton  found  in  1700  near  Stuttgart;  it  was 
found  with  the  remains  of  the  mammoth ;  a  sim- 
ilar skull  was  found  at  Eginsheim  in  Alsace  in 
1867,  also  associated  with  the  remains  of  the 
mammoth. 

This  type  is  apparent  in  the  Neanderthal  skull 
found  near  Dusseldorf  in  1857.  Another  similar 
skull  was  found  eight  miles  southwest  of  Leige 
in  the  cavern  of  Euges,  embedded  in  gravel, 
with  the  remains  of  the  mammoth,  rhinoceros 
and  reindeer.  The  skulls  of  the  Constadt  race 
had  large  bone  ridges  around  the  eyes.  The 
forehead  is  low  and  retreating,  the  eye  socket 
large,  the  nose  prominent,  the  upper  jaw  less 
protruding  than  the  lower  jaw. 

This  ancient  savage  was  large,  strong  and 
muscular.  He  was  a  nomad  hunter;  he  some- 
times sought  shelter  in  caves  and  overhanging 
rocks,  but  had  no  fixed  abode,  and  had  no  place 
for  burial.  Skulls  of  this  people  are  found  un- 

B4 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

derlying  the  Iberian  remains  in  many  places  in 
Western  Europe,  indicating  that  they  were  con- 
temporary with  the  mammoth,  rhinoceros  and 
reindeer. 

In  the  gravels  deposited  in  an  ancient  bed  of 
the  Seine  River  at  Grenville,  near  Paris,  have 
been  found  the  Constadt  skulls;  neither  imple- 
ment nor  tool  used  by  these  people  have  been 
found.  In  the  alluvium  overlying  this  gravel 
was  found,  at  a  depth  of  9  to  12  feet  from  the 
surface,  the  skulls  of  the  Iberian  type,  and  above 
this,  at  the  depth  of  4  to  7  feet  from  the  sur- 
face, were  found  skeletons  of  short,  round- 
headed  people  with  an  average  height  of  5  feet 
4  inches.  They  left  many  traces  of  their  exist- 
ence in  the  caves  where  they  lived  and  where 
they  buried  their  dead.  They  seem  to  have  been 
a  peaceful  people,  having  no  weapons  for  com- 
bat. All  the  implements  they  had  were  made  of 
flint  or  reindeer  horn.  Some  of  the  animals — 
the  reindeer,  the  ibex,  chamois,  and  the  ptmari- 
gan — show  the  climate  was  cold.  Their  people 
made  clothing  of  skins,  which  they  sewed  to- 
gether with  bone  needles. 

The  first  inhabitants  in  Italy  were  of  the  race 
which  has  been  called  lapygian,  a  small,  dark 
people  like  the  Bushmen.  They  were  gradually 
driven  before  the  people  who  invaded  the  land 
from  the  north  until  they  were  concentrated  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  country  in  what  is 
known  as  the  heel  of  Italy.  They  had  a  peculiar 
language,  differing  from  all  other  languages. 

55 


1RJDDIC0  Of 

There  remains  some  monuments  made  by  them 
upon  which  inscriptions  were  made,  as  yet  inde- 
cipherable. A  few  of  the  several  thousand  Nur- 
hags  scattered  over  the  island  of  Sardinia  have 
been  examined.  There  was  found  a  well-like 
construction  from  the  surface  in  circular  shape 
some  of  them  are  three  stories  deep,  supplied 
with  stone  steps,  having  a  square  chamber  at 
the  bottom,  which  was  evidently  constructed  for 
and  used  as  temples  of  worship.  Images  are 
found  in  them,  usually  a  female  with  a  child  in 
her  arm  and  a  priest  with  a  symbol  of  his  voca- 
tion in  his  heart  containing  phallic  emblems.  The 
structures  are  similar  to  those  found  among  the 
ClirTdwellers  and  the  Zuni  Indians  in  New  Mex- 
ico and  Arizona,  constructed  after  the  similar 
pattern,  both  indicating  the  worship  of  Iris,  the 
Egyptian  Goddess. 

The  Nurhags  are  probably  over  10,000  years 
old,  and  were  probably  built  before  the  flood. 

Next  there  came  into  Italy  the  Iberian  race, 
the  Sabellians.  They  were  an  important  race. 
Where  they  came  from  is  not  known,  but  they 
cultivated  the  soil. 

Next  came  the  Etruscans,  who  were  more 
highly  civilized.  They  were  an  Aryan  race,  but 
did  not  resemble  their  neighbors  in  language  or 
manners.  They  came  from  the  northeast.  They 
were  short,  thick-set,  with  large,  round  heads 
and  slender  limbs.  They  were  peaceable  and 
engaged  in  agriculture  and  trade.  They  culti- 

56 


Prehistoric  Ctme0 

vated  the  arts,  and  became  a  highly  civilized 
people  before  the  time  of  history. 

The  Iberians,  in  ancient  times,  inhabited  the 
western  and  southern  part  of  Europe,  the 
northern  part  of  Africa,  in  fact  all  parts  reached 
from  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The  Basques  in 
Spain  and  France,  the  little,  dark  Welshmen, 
the  Scotch  and  Black  Celts  to  the  West  of  the 
Shannon  River  in  Ireland,  as  well  as  the  same 
kind  of  men  in  Brittany  and  Equitaine  in 
France ;  the  Guanchis  of  the  Canary  Islands  and 
the  Berbers  in  Africa,  are  all  probably  the  rem- 
nants of  the  race. 

The  Teuton  inhabited  the  country  north  of  the 
Iberians ;  he  was  phlegmatic  in  temperament, 
and  dull  of  intellect,  but  brave,  warlike  and 
given  to  athletic  exercises.  He  was  a  flaxen- 
haired,  large-limbed  giant,  fat  and  stupid.  His 
greatest  glory  was  to  have  killed  a  large  number 
of  savage  animals.  Owing  to  their  strength, 
bravery  and  size,  they  were  a  conquering  race, 
but  did  not  have  the  genius  to  rule  the  lands 
they  conquered.  They  did  not  develop  any  high 
civilization  of  their  own.  They  were  self-reliant, 
willful  and  independent.  The  intellect  and 
genius  of  the  people  of  Central  Europe  came 
from  the  people  farther  north,  probably  the 
original  Aryan  tribes.  Their  deities  were  Thor, 
Odin,  Frigga,  wife  of  Odin  or  Woden  and 
Balder. 

The  Basques  are  of  middle  size,  compactly 
built,  robust  and  agile,  of  a  darker  complexion 

57 


Of 

than  the  Spaniards.  Their  language  has  a  re- 
semblance to  the  Finnick,  as  well  as  to  some  of 
the  languages  of  the  red  men  of  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  to  the  Gallic  in  Ireland  and  Brittany. 

An  ice  age  probably  drove  them  south.  Some 
few  probably  survived  as  cave  dwellers,  but  the 
larger  part  perished. 

The  first  inhabitants  of  southern  Europe, 
northern  Africa,  Arabia,  France  and  the  British 
Islands  were  a  race  of  small  men,  who  did  not 
average  in  height  more  than  about  4  feet  5 
inches.  They  were  of  slight  build,  with  dark 
complexion.  They  were  cave  dwellers  emina- 
tions  from  Lemuria. 

They  first  buried  their  dead  in  caves,  and 
when  the  caves  were  not  available  they  placed 
their  dead  in  long  barrows  or  graves  in  a  row. 
Some  such  barrows  were  400  feet  long  and  50 
feet  wide.  They  were  an  African  people,  and 
there  appears  evidence  that  they  sometimes  prac- 
ticed cannibalism. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  people  in  Ireland  were 
the  Formatians.  They  were  a  dark,  stunted 
race,  utterly  savage,  using  rough,  unwrought 
stone  implements.  So  far  as  can  be  learned, 
they  did  not  know  the  use  of  fire.  It  is  said 
they  came  from  Africa  on  ships. 

It  would  seem  that  at  some  period  in  the  past 
the  land  in  Europe  was  of  a  higher  elevation 
than  at  the  present,  and  that  the  present  bed  of 
the  Straits  of  Dover  and  a  large  part  of  the 
North  and  Baltic  Sea  and  the  Channel  was 

58 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

above  the  water.  Ireland  was  joined  to  England 
and  both  to  France  by  dry  land,  and  Africa  and 
Europe  were  joined  by  a  bridge  of  land  by  way 
of  Sicily  and  Malta  and  perhaps  by  Gibraltar. 
These  strips  divided  the  Mediterranean  into  sev- 
eral inland  seas.  Europe  and  America  were 
probably  connected  in  the  same  way  from  Ire- 
land across  the  Atlantic  Cable  plateau,  which 
then  formed  the  northern  end  of  the  Atlantic 
Ocean. 

Man  existed  in  that  remote  time,  and  many 
facts  tend  to  prove  that  he  could  and  did  pass 
from  one  place  to  another,  as  could  the  animals 
which  inhabited  the  different  countries. 

When  plants  of  Europe  and  Africa  on  the 
east  and  north  and  South  America  on  the  west 
are  compared,  it  is  found  that  there  is  a  simi- 
larity, indicating  that  they  had  the  same  origin, 
notably,  the  wheat,  banana,  tomato,  red  pepper, 
and  cotton. 

On  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  are  found  re- 
mains of  the  hairy  mammoth,  the  woolly  rhi- 
noceros, the  cave  bear,  the  musk  ox,  the  rein- 
deer, the  bison,  the  elk,  the  horse,  accompanied 
by  the  remains  of  the  same  kind  of  flora.  The 
remains  of  the  camel  are  found  in  India,  Africa, 
South  America  and  in  Kansas.  The  alpacas  and 
llamas  of  Peru  are  but  varieties  of  the  camel. 


of 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 

There  have  been  many  ancient  and  extinct 
civilizations,  which  grew  up  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  many  of  which  show  wonderful  similari- 
ties of  ideas,  which  would  imply  that  such  ideas 
were  obtained  from  the  same  fountain.  All  over 
the  world  may  be  found  ruins  of  old  civilizations, 
which  arose,  developed,  decayed  and  died.  It  is 
as  if  communities  followed  the  same  pathway  of 
life  that  men  and  animals  have  done;  that  Na- 
ture's pattern  of  birth,  growth,  development,  old 
age,  decay,  and  death  applied  to  nations  and 
communities,  as  well  as  to  man  and  animals. 
Ruins  exhibit  the  distinctive  character  of  such 
civilizations.  There  is  no  written  history  to 
which  access  may  be  had  to  explain  when  they 
existed,  or  to  tell  what  people  builded  them. 

The  similarities  being  considered,  it  appears 
that  there  was  a  relationship  of  ideas  and 
thought  actuating  peoples  in  different  parts  of 
the  world.  In  attempting  to  unravel  the  mys- 
teries of  the  lives  of  men  in  prehistoric  times, 
one  is  surrounded  and  enveloped  with  a  mass  of 
evidence  which  seems  almost  impossible  to 


60 


Cimes 

classify  and  arrange  in  orderly  shape  for  con- 
sideration. Like  the  faint  memories  of  child- 
hood, we  may  examine  the  thoughts  of  ancient 
peoples,  about  the  sun,  the  moon  and  stars,  about 
life  and  death,  and  may  see  glimpses  of  their 
aspirations.  We  should  view  them  not  with  con- 
tempt, not  with  pity,  but  with  gratitude. 

Scattered  over  the  central  portion  of  the 
United  States  everywhere  are  found  evidences 
of  an  ancient,  partly  civilized  people  who  have 
been  called  the  Mound  builders  from  the  num- 
berless earth  mounds  made  by  them,  varying  in 
shape,  size  and  evident  purpose.  Many  of  them 
are  sepulchral,  many  evidently  defensive,  others 
religious.  There  are  said  to  be  10,000  such  re- 
mains in  the  State  of  Ohio,  of  which  from  1,000 
to  1,500  are  defensive  works  for  the  purpose  of 
protection  from  enemies.  Such  works  are  abun- 
dant in  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa  and 
Wisconsin.  Within  the  radius  of  50  miles  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  about  5,000  mounds 
are  to  be  found.  St.  Louis  is  called  the  Mound 
City  from  the  number  in  its  vicinity.  The 
Southern  States  contain  a  great  number  of 
them. 

Occasionally  they  may  be  found  east  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America.  The  Mounds  run  from  30  to  100  feet 
in  diameter  and  from  6  to  100  feet  high;  some 
are  much  larger. 

From  the  number  of  defensive  works  it  may 
be  understood  that  the  mound  builders  had  a 

61 


HfDOles  of 

strenuous  struggle  for  existence  with  other  peo- 
ples. The  defensive  works  are  generally  ram- 
parts of  earth  on  high  ridges,  enclosures  with 
ditches,  observation  structures  skillfully  con- 
structed, near  an  abundant  supply  of  water. 

The  walls  sometimes  are  made  from  stone. 
Defensive  works  are  more  frequent  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  which  in- 
dicates that  their  most  powerful  foes  were  east 
of  them,  for  the  defensive  works  do  not  exist  in 
the  west. 

Of  these  defensive  works  one  is  known  as 
Fort  Ancient,  near  the  little  Miami  River,  a  few 
miles  east  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  Fort  was 
built  on  hills,  which  were  easily  defended,  the 
weak  places  being  protected  by  ditches  and  high 
walls  from  5  to  20  feet,  the  space  enclosed  be- 
ing propably  150  acres  in  all;  in  the  walls  are 
some  70  gates  from  10  to  15  feet  wide.  There 
was  24  reservoirs  connected  with  springs  within 
the  Fort. 

The  largest  of  the  defensive  works  was  at 
Bourneville,  Ohio,  built  on  the  brow  of  a  steep 
hill  400  feet  high,  the  walls  being  built  of  stone  8 
feet  thick  and  8  feet  high.  The  walls  were  2^2 
miles  long,  the  enclosure  being  about  160  acres. 
In  connection  with  all  these  defensive  works  are 
high  mounds,  from  the  summits  of  which  an  ex- 
tensive view  may  be  had  of  the  surrounding 
country,  lookout  points  and  signal  stations. 
Fires  from  the  tops  might  flash  out  signals  to 
long  distances. 

62 


Cime* 

One  such  high  point  at  Miamisburg,  Ohio,  is 
a  mound  75  feet  high,  100  feet  in  diameter  at 
the  base.  The  rich  alluvial  bottom  lands  in  the 
vicinity  were  unquestionably  where  lived  and 
thrived  the  numerous  population  of  the  mound 
builders. 

The  temple  mounds  are  frequent,  many  of 
them  pyramidial,  round,  square,  or  oval  in  shape, 
sometimes  terraced  with  a  large  flat  space  at  the 
summit.  The  largest  of  these  is  at  Kahoka,  Il- 
linois, one  of  a  group  of  some  60  mounds,  50  by 
700  feet  at  the  base  and  90  feet  high. 

The  summit  is  a  flat  space  200  by  450  feet.  A 
small  round  mound  was  built  on  the  summit,  on 
which  were  found  evidences  of  fire  in  connection 
with  human  bones. 

In  the  Gulf  States  such  temple  mounds  are 
numerous,  the  largest  of  which  is  at  Selzertown, 
Mississippi,  400  by  600  feet  at  the  base,  40  feet 
high,  with  a  level  space  on  the  top  of  three  acres. 
The  northern  side  is  built  of  sun-dried  brick  2 
feet  thick.  The  Mound  is  surrounded  by  a  ditch 
10  feet  deep ;  on  the  summit  were  three  mounds, 
one  of  them  40  feet  high,  making  a  total  height 
of  80  feet. 

At  Etowah  River,  Georgia,  there  is  a  group  of 
seven  large  mounds,  the  largest  of  which  is  65 
feet  high,  150  feet  square  at  the  top,  with  a 
raised  platform  in  the  east  side  40  feet  wide  and 
20  feet  high,  with  terraces  and  inclined  path- 
ways to  lead  to  the  summit;  on  this  platform 
was  found  a  stone  idol  and  some  gold  beads.  A 

63 


Ki D Dies  of 

deep  artificial  canal  leads  from  the  river  to  the 
mounds. 

There  have  been  found  in  these  ancient 
mounds  the  tools,  weapons  and  implements  used 
by  the  builders.  There  were  implements  of  war, 
the  chase  and  domestic  life,  which  indicate  in 
some  degree  the  condition  and  intelligence  of 
the  people  who  used  them.  They  had  stone  im- 
plements and  weapons,  pottery,  arrow  heads  and 
spears  of  stone,  articles  made  of  bone,  quartz 
and  obsidian.  The  obsidian  must  have  been 
brought  from  Mexico.  Their  implements  of 
copper  were  evidently  made  by  pounding.  Cop- 
per was  in  common  use,  and  the  extensive  cop- 
per mines  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior  were 
the  source  of  their  supplies.  In  a  trench  leading 
to  an  ancient  copper  mine,  18  feet  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  a  mass  of  copper  weigh- 
ing six  tons  had  been  raised  five  feet  on  a  frame 
of  wood  to  enable  the  men  to  remove  it. 

There  are  numerous  burial  mounds  in  all  the 
mound  builders'  country.  They  are  generally 
oval  in  shape,  usually  from  6  to  80  feet  high. 
Skeletons  have  been  found  in  a  vault  of  stone 
slabs  set  on  edge  and  covered  over  with  timbers 
or  stone  slabs. 

Grave  Creek  Mound,  West  Virginia,  was  the 
largest  of  this  class,  1,000  feet  in  circumference 
and  70  feet  high.  It  was  opened  in  1838,  and  in 
it  were  found  two  sepulchral  chambers,  one  at 
the  bottom  and  one  30  feet  above  it.  These 
chambers  had  been  made  of  timber  and  covered 


prehistoric  Cimes 

with  stone  slabs;  the  lower  chamber  had  two 
skeletons,  the  upper  chamber  one.  There  were 
found  shell  beads  and  many  other  articles. 

Near  Alton,  Illinois,  a  mound  was  found  to 
contain  a  vault  built  of  stone,  4^  feet  wide,  12 
feet  long  and  high  enough  for  a  man  sitting  up- 
right. Two  skeletons  were  found,  one  at  each 
end  of  the  vault,  sitting  with  faces  toward  the 
east.  Bones  of  some  twenty  persons  were 
thrown  into  the  space  between  the  two,  every 
skull  of  which  had  been  crushed  by  a  blow  on 
the  left  side  of  the  head,  evidently  victims  slain 
at  the  burial  of  some  important  persons.  Each 
of  the  skeletons  at  the  end  held  a  large  sea  shell, 
the  large  end  resting  on  the  left  hip. 

In  addition  to  burial  in  mounds,  burial  in  urns 
were  very  frequent,  particularly  in  the  Southern 
States.  In  South  Carolina  there  have  been  found 
such  urns,  placed  one  above  the  other,  each  filled 
with  the  remains  of  a  human  being.  Cave  burial 
was  also  frequent.  Mounds  were  probably 
placed  only  over  the  important  personages,  such 
as  rulers,  chiefs  and  priests. 

Haywood  tells  of  the  discovery,  in  a  cave  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Cumberland  River  in  Ten- 
nessee, of  mummies  who  were  buried  in  baskets, 
whose  skin  was  fair  and  white,  their  hair  au- 
burn, of  fine  texture. 

The  contents  of  various  mounds  of  Mound 
Builders  are  interesting,  particularly  articles  of 
pottery,  consisting  of  water  jugs,  vases,  urns, 
cups  and  other  forms.  The  pottery  is  of  dark 

65 


of 

and  bluish  clay  mixed  with  sand  and  fragments 
of  shells.  Some  was  mixed  with  gypsum,  shaped 
by  hand  and  burned  in  a  hot  fire.  Gourds  and 
baskets  coated  with  clay  were  probably  used  as 
moulds ;  glazing  was  not  known.  Pipes  have 
been  found  in  great  numbers,  carved  from  slate, 
soapstone  and  marble.  Many  represent  animals 
like  the  beaver,  the  otter,  the  deer,  the  turtle  and 
fishes ;  human  heads  are  also  represented.  The 
modeling  displays  considerable  skill.  Copper, 
silver  and  gold  objec.ts  hammered  into  various 
shapes  have  been  found  with  some  meteoric 
iron.  In  one,  a  half  bushel  of  pearls  were 
found.  Copper  was  the  most  abundant  metal 
found.  Obsidian  knives,  horn  and  bone  articles, 
some  of  them  polished ;  beads  of  copper,  shell, 
stone,  wood  and  pierced  teeth  were  found. 

Mica  ornaments  probably  obtained  from 
North  Carolina  have  been  found  at  long  dis- 
tances from  where  it  exists.  Sea  shells  and  cop- 
per axes  formed  by  hammering  were  found  in 
one  mound  in  Illinois  in  1876.  Some  woven 
cloth  of  a  coarse  texture  from  flax,  stone  imple- 
ments, spears  and  arrow  heads,  axes  grooved 
for  handles,  mortars  and  pestles,  chisels,  highly 
polished ;  hoes  and  spades,  flat  on  one  side, 
slightly  oval  on  the  other,  have  been  found. 

An  ancient  burial  mound  dug  into  in  Iowa 
was  found  to  contain  32  human  skeletons.  They 
had  been  placed  in  a  sitting  position,  but  had 
fallen  over  with  their  heads  between  their  knees. 

At   Brush   Creek,   Ohio,   on    the   apex   of   a 

66 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

promontory  of  land  between  two  creeks,  lies  the 
serpent  coiled  along  the  ridge  with  a  round  cir- 
cular mound  between  the  extended  jaws,  the  so- 
called  Serpent  Mound. 

Nine  feet  from  the  eastern  end  of  the  oval, 
and  partly  inclosing  it,  is  a  crescent-shaped  bank, 
seventeen  feet  wide.  From  the  extremities  of 
the  crescent,  which  are  75  feet  apart,  begin  the 
jaws  of  the  serpent,  formed  by  banks  17  feet  wide 
and  6 1  and  56  feet,  respectively,  in  length.  The 
open  jaws  are  shown  as  if  the  serpent's  head  was 
turned  upon  its  right  side.  The  head  of  the 
serpent  across  the  point  of  union  of  the  jaws  is 
thirty  feet  wide  and  five  feet  high.  From  this 
point  the  neck  extends  eastward  more  than  one 
hundred  feet,  with  a  slight  curve  to  the  north. 
Then  begins  what  may  be  called  the  body  of  the 
reptile,  making  a  graceful  curve  to  the  south, 
and  westward  down  the  declivity  of  the  central 
portion  of  the  hill,  where  another  graceful  con- 
volution is  made  up  the  opposite  ascent  to  nearly 
the  same  level  as  the  head;  here  it  folds  in  an- 
other full  convolution,  and  the  tail  follows  with 
a  long  stretch  to  the  southwest,  terminating  in  a 
triple  coil.  Measured  from  the  tip  of  the  upper 
jaw  to  the  end  of  the  tail  the  serpent  is  1,254 
feet  in  length. 

The  average  width  of  the  body  is  about  twenty 
feet,  and  its  height  along  the  head  and  body  is 
from  four  to  five  feet.  From  the  beginning  of 
the  tail  it  gradually  decreases  in  width  and 
height  until  it  terminates  in  a  bank  about  a  foot 


UiDDlCS  Of 

high  and  nearly  two  feet  wide.  The  graceful 
curves  throughout  the  whole  length  of  this  sin- 
gular effigy  give  it  a  strange,  life-like  appear- 
ance, as  if  a  huge  serpent  slowly  uncoiling  itself 
and  creeping  silently  and  stealthily  along  the 
crest  of  the  hill  were  about  to  seize  the  oval 
within  its  extended  jaws.  Late  in  the  after- 
noon, the  effect  is  weird,  which  effect  is  height- 
ened when  the  full  moon  comes  up,  and  the  still- 
ness is  broken  only  by  the  hoot  of  the  owl. 

That  such  a  work,  so  carefully  designed  and 
constructed  under  difficulties  along  this  narrow 
ridge,  terminating  in  the  high  rough  cliff,  was 
planned  and  built  under  some  powerful  influ- 
ence we  can  believe.  And  what  other  than  a 
religious  motive  can  be  conceived?  Here  we 
have  the  evidence  of  the  existence  of  that  an- 
cient faith,  which,  rising,  probably  in  the  east, 
ages  before  historic  time,  held  millions  of  peo- 
ple under  its  terrible  sway,  and,  spreading  over 
Asia,  Africa  and  Europe,  has  not  yet  been  wholly 
supplanted  in  India  and  Africa. 

That  the  serpent  was  prominent  in  the  re- 
ligious faiths  of  the  early  Americans  is  beyond 
question.  To  a  certain  extent,  in  combination 
with  the  phallic  and  solar  worship,  it  extended 
from  Central  America  to  Peru  and  Mexico.  Its 
existence  in  Yucatan  is  shown  by  sculptures  on 
the  ruined  temples.  We  know  that  this  form 
of  worship  existed  in  Mexico  down  to  the  time 
of  the  Spanish  conquest,  and  that  it  still  sur- 
vives in  the  rites  of  the  Zunis  and  Moquis. 

68 


Cime0 

Some  of  these  mounds  contain  human  b'ones, 
but  the  large  part  of  them  seem  to  have  been 
made  for  the  purpose  of  religious  worship.  They 
vary  in  size  from  a  few  feet  to  immense  struc- 
tures with  a  base  of  300  to  600  feet  in  diameter, 
and  up  to  90  feet  high.  They  are  usually  en- 
closed by  ramparts  from  6  to  30  feet  high. 
Sometimes  they  are  made  in  shape  of  men  or 
animals.  One  mound  in  Wisconsin  represents  a 
man  with  two  heads.  The  body  is  50  feet  long 
by  12  feet  across  the  breast.  Another  in  that 
state  represents  an  elephant.  In  some  of  these 
mounds  are  found  human  remains,  sometimes 
partly  burned  bones,  with  implements,  weapons 
and  ornaments  of  stone  and  bone,  and  articles  of 
pottery,  sometimes  elaborately  ornamented. 

In  Wisconsin  is  a  group  of  earth  works.  The 
north  and  south  walls  of  the  enclosure  extend 
some  1,200  feet  from  the  west  wall,  which  is 
about  1,200  feet.  These  walls  have  projections 
like  buttresses  built  out  some  17  feet  from  the 
line  of  the  wall  at  intervals  of  about  30  feet. 
Within  the  enclosure  at  the  north  end  near  the 
western  wall  is  an  oblong  mound  five  feet  high, 
which  contained  pieces  of  matting,  some  rope 
strands,  made  of  grass,  some  cloth,  human 
bones,  pieces  of  pottery,  together  with  some 
fragments  of  burned  clay,  mixed  with  grass  or 
straw,  all  charred  with  fire. 

In  Wisconsin  there  are  found  in  many  places 
small  hillocks,  a  foot  or  more  in  height,  known 
as  Indian  corn  hills.  They  are  without  order  or 

69 


BtD  Dies  of 

arrangement,  being  scattered  irregularly.  The 
corn  was  planted  by  the  Indians  on  the  same 
spot  each  successive  year,  being  enlarged  by 
additions  each  year.  But  there  are  evidences  of 
an  earlier  and  more  systematic  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  There  are  low  parallel  ridges  with  a  walk 
six  inches  deep  between  them,  like  garden  beds, 
and  indicate  a  more  perfect  system  of  cultiva- 
tion than  the  corn  hills.  These  garden  beds  are 
of  various  sizes;  they  are  from  20  acres  to  300 
acres  in  extent.  They  exist  in  the  richest  soil, 
and  are  found  only  in  flat  lands.  Sometimes 
they  extend  across  the  mounds  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  over  the  adjoining  ground.  This  would 
indicate  that  they  were  not  made  by  the  same 
people  as  those  who  built  the  mounds. 

Among  the  ancient  stone  and  copper  imple- 
ments found  in  the  old  Michigan  copper  mines 
was  an  instrument  16%  inches  long,  2^2  inches 
wide,  like  the  patu  of  New  Zealand,  an  edged 
club  of  bone  or  stone,  a  very  effective  weapon  in 
a  hand-to-hand  conflict,  capable  of  splitting  a 
man's  skull  at  a  blow. 

On  the  high  banks  of  the  Sugar  River,  Wis- 
consin, is  Seven  Mound  Prairie,  seven  conical 
mounds.  Some  three  miles  from  this  is  an 
earthwork,  about  660  feet  in  length,  with  a  gap 
in  the  middle,  opposite  which  is  an  elephant- 
shaped  mound. 

Eighteen  miles  west  of  the  Four  Lalces,  Wis- 
consin, are  two  hills  called  the  Blue  Mounds,  a 
group  of  mounds  consisting  of  effigies  of  six 

70 


Cfme0 

animals,  six  mounds  in  parallelograms,  one  cir- 
cular mound,  one  human  figure  and  one  circle 
or  ring.  The  animal  effigies  are  from  90  to  126 
feet  long.  The  human  figure  is  125  feet  long, 
with  arms  extended.  The  circular  mound  in 
the  center  is  the  highest  one. 

On  Snake  Butte,  a  high  hill  a  few  miles  north 
of  Pierre,  South  Dakota,  overlooking  Missouri 
River,  is  an  accumulation  of  stones  arranged  in 
the  form  of  a  serpent,  also  some  small  mounds, 
effigies  of  the  tortoise.  It  is  in  the  neighborhood 
ascribed  to  a  Cree  Indian,  who,  in  a  fight  with  a 
Sioux  warrior,  killed  him  after  a  desperate  fight, 
and  the  Sioux,  badly  wounded,  went  to  the  top  of 
the  hill.  Where  he  stopped  to  rest  he  bled,  and 
the  Cree,  in  admiration  of  his  courage,  placed  the 
stones  at  the  spots  where  blood  had  fallen.  The 
explanation  is  inadequate.  It  was  built  by  an  an- 
cient people  for  religious  purpose  like  the  Brush 
Creek  effigy  in  Ohio. 

One  mound  in  Wisconsin  is  the  effigy  of  a 
bear  56  feet  in  length  from  head  to  rump.  An- 
other figure  at  this  place  is  that  of  a  turtle  76 
feet  long  and  37  feet  across,  with  the  haad  to- 
ward the  east.  A  human  effigy,  25  feet  across 
the  breast,  20  feet  across  the  hips,  has  two  heads, 
each  neck  being  8  feet,  each  head  10  feet;  the 
body  is  50  feet,  the  legs  40  feet  long. 

There  is  a  lizard-shaped  mound,  136  feet  6 
inches  long,  near  Muscoda.  There  are  two 
lizard-shaped  mounds  near  Geneva,  at  Lake 
Geneva,  each  40  feet  long,  also  a  mound  in 

71 


of 

shape  of  a  drawn  bow,  with  an  arrow  across  it 
pointing  toward  the  lake.  The  bow  is  50  feet 
long. 

Near  Columbia,  Tennessee,  are  the  ruins  of 
an  ancient  walled  town,  containing  the  ruins  of 
a  great  number  of  houses,  all  circular  in  form. 
The  bodies  in  the  cemetery  near  this  place  were 
placed  in  a  sitting  position. 

The  square  pyramidial  mound  occurs  quite 
frequently  in  southern  United  States,  in  Ten- 
nessee, Florida  and  Georgia. 

On  Petit  Ause  Island  in  Louisiana,  where 
rock  zs.lt  was  found  under  some  18  feet  of  al- 
luvium, there  have  been  found  the  bones  of 
the  mastodon  and  elephant,  and  underneath 
these  remains  of  different  peoples.  Fortified 
hills  and  defensive  earthworks  show  there  had 
been  a  long  continued  warfare.  The  relics  of 
a  glacial  period  under  which  some  of  these  re- 
mains are  found  show  that  part  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  this  land  had  existed  before  the  last 
glacial  period.  The  mastodon,  the  long-haired 
elephant,  the  mammoth  and  rhinoceros  covered 
with  hair  were  then  contemporaneous  with  man. 
In  several  places  have  been  found  the  arrow 
heads,  stone  axes  and  rough  stone  with  which 
men  slew  the  ancient  beasts.  The  bones  of  the 
mastodon  were  dug  up  from  the  bottom  lands 
of  the  Bourbonese  River  in  Missouri.  The 
bones  were  upright  as  if  the  animal  had  become 
fast  in  the  mire,  and  the  men  had  attacked  and 
killed  it  with  arrows,  spears  and  stones  thrown 

72 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

at  it,  while  fast  in  the  mud.  Near  New  Or- 
leans, in  1853,  a  skeleton  was  exhumed  16  feet 
under  four  successive  forests  of  cypress  trees. 

The  Menoninee  tribe  of  Indians  are  some- 
times called  White  Indians.  They  formerly  oc- 
cupied the  region  bordering  on  Lake  Michigan 
around  Green  Bay.  They  were  light  ash  color. 

Among  the  Zuni  Indians  are  many  persons 
who  are  white ;  some  have  fair  skins,  blue  eyes 
and  auburn  hair.  These  claim  to  be  full-blooded 
Zunis. 

In  the  Mandan  villages  are  found  a  great 
many  whose  complexious  are  light  as  half- 
breeds;  many  of  the  women  are  almost  white 
with  hazel,  gray  or  blue  eyes,  and  hair  fine  and 
soft  as  silk. 

The  Creeks  were  much  more  agricultural  than 
other  tribes  in  the  north ;  the  separate  house- 
holds cultivated  separate  parts  of  it,  but  were 
obliged  to  place  a  stipulated  part  in  the  public 
storehouse.  Hunters  were  obliged  to  yield  part 
of  the  game  for  the  public  storehouse ;  a  like 
provision  in  Egypt,  at  the  time  of  Joseph,  con- 
stituted a  taxation  for  the  public  weal. 

Among  the  Indians  in  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
it  was  customary  to  divide  the  ground  into  fam- 
ily lots,  but  there  were  common  storehouses,  in 
which  a  portion  of  the  fruits  was  placed,  under 
control  of  the  sachem,  whose  power  was  some- 
what absolute  as  to  its  distribution. 

With  the  Indians  the  sachems  were  peace  offi- 
cers, and  the  chiefs  war  leaders;  both  were 

73 


Of 

elected,  and  men  and  women  had  the  right  to 
vote.  The  war  chiefs  were  chosen  for  their  per- 
sonal valor,  several  in  the  tribe;  the  sachemship 
was  in  the  family,  hereditary.  The  tribe  was 
governed  by  the  sachems  and  chiefs,  and  while 
the  confederacy,  when  such  existed,  by  a  council 
of  the  sachems  of  the  constituent  tribes. 

The  Natchez  were  governed  by  their  rulers, 
who  maintained  an  absolute  monarchy  based  on 
religious  dignity.  The  ruler  was  the  Sun,  a  god 
on  earth;  the  people  were  slaves  to  his  will. 
These  Southern  tribes  seem  to  be  survivors  of 
the  mound  builders,  who  at  one  time  occupied 
the  whole  Mississippi  valley.  They  seem  to 
have  been  driven  south,  the  small  remnants  of 
the  once  numerous  population. 

The  weapons  of  the  people  of  America  were 
found  to  be  precisely  identical  with  the  weapons 
of  the  stone  age  in  Europe.  They  had  bows 
and  arrows,  spears,  darts,  battle  axes  and  sling 
stones ;  they  used  shields  and  bucklers. 

The  earliest  inhabitants  were  a  race  with  small 
oval  heads;  the  mound  builders  were  a  race  of 
long,  narrow  skulls,  and  there  appears  evidence 
of  a  blending  of  the  Mexicans  and  the  Mound 
Builders. 

The  stone  cists  in  the  graves  in  the  American 
mounds  are  exactly  like  the  stone  cists  found  in 
European  mounds.  The  articles  associated  with 
the  remains  of  the  dead,  urns,  trinkets,  food  and 
funeral  urns,  are  the  same  in  both.  In  the 
graves  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  among  the 

74 


ic  Cimes 


Zunis,  pottery  vases  were  constructed  around 
the  bones  of  the  dead  just  the  same  as  with  the 
Chaldeans. 

•Among  the  southern  tribes  of  American  In- 
dians, the  Creeks,  Choctaws  and  Natchez,  the 
sun  was  the  supreme  deity.  His  worship  was 
conducted  by  a  priest,  the  Mico.  Natchez  was 
ruled  by  a  son  of  the  sun.  The  earthly  repre- 
sentative of  deity,  he  was  absolute  over  the  com- 
munity. These  southern  Indians  are  probably 
a  remnant  of  the  Mound  Builders. 

The  origin  of  the  people  who  inhabited  Amer- 
ica prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  Europeans  is  a 
problem  which  yet  remains  unsolved.  In  North 
America  along  the  Mississippi  River  and  its 
branches  are  the  remains  of  a  civilization,  long 
extinct.  Their  remains  consisted  chiefly  of 
mounds,  structures  similar  to  these  found  in 
Egypt  and  Babylon.  Toward  the  south  these 
remains  took  the  shape  of  pyramids  in  suc- 
cessive stages  or  terraces  with  flat  tops.  The 
barrows  and  ramparts  made  of  earth  and  stone 
must  have  required  the  labor  of  a  very  large 
number. 

The  Mound  Builders  evidently  entered  the 
United  States  territory  from  the  east  by  way  of 
the  Mississippi  River. 

In  Mexico  were  found  evidences  of  a  higher 
civilization.  There  seems  to  have  been  an  an- 
cient people,  who  came  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
the  Toltecs,  who  had  become  extinct.  They 
were  different  from  the  Aztecs,  which  the  Span- 

75 


UitJDlc0  Of 

iards  found  in  Mexico.  In  Central  America 
there  are  found  immense  ruins  of  cities  built  by 
the  Mayas,  an  extinct  people  similar  to  the  Tol- 
tecs. 

In  Peru  there  are  remains  of  ancient  struc- 
tures somewhat  similar  to  those  made  by  the 
Toltecs,  but  much  more  vast,  constructed  by  the 
Pirunas,  a  people  similar  to  the  Toltecs.  Ex- 
aminations and  comparisons  of  the  various 
structures  as  shown  by  these  remains  will  show 
remarkable  similarities  in  design  to  structures 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  old  world. 

The  Indians  found  in  possession  of  the  Cen- 
tral United  States  were  a  different  people  from 
the  Mound  builders.  There  was  a  tradition 
among  the  Iroquis  that  when  the  ancestors  of 
the  Iroquois  and  other  kindred  tribes  came  from 
the  northwest  to  the  Mississippi  Valley,  they 
found,  to  the  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  a 
great  nation  more  advanced  than  themselves, 
who  granted  them  leave  to  pass  through  their 
settlements,  but  hostilities  broke  out  among  them 
which  resulted  in  the  extermination  of  the  in- 
habitants and  the  establishment  of  the  red  man 
in  the  country. 

The  Pueblos  of  New  Mexico,  Colorado,  and 
Arizona  were  the  homes  of  a  clan  or  family. 
One  at  Pecos,  New  Mexico,  is  the  largest  stone 
structure  in  the  United  States.  It  is  two  stories 
high,  and  has  a  circuit  of  1,480  feet,  with  50 
rooms.  It  once  sheltered  the  500  families  of 
the  tribe  or  clan. 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

Pueblo  Bonito  on  the  Rio  Chacos  is  1,716  feet 
in  circuit,  and  included  641  rooms,  sheltering 
probably  5,000  people. 

A  stone  Pueblo  on  the  Animas  River  had  more 
than  400  rooms,  built  on  three  sides  of  a  court, 
rising  in  successive  terraces  each  narrower  than 
the  one  beneath  and  approachable  only  by  lad- 
ders. There  was  no  sign  of  any  external  door 
or  entrance.  The  outer  walls  were  of  gray  sand- 
stone, laid  with  great  precision  and  without  mor- 
tar, the  interstices  being  filled  with  small  pieces 
of  stone. 

These  are  practically  the  same  as  the  adobe 
pueblos  inhabited  at  this  time  by  the  Indians  in 
that  country. 

As  you  cross  the  meadows  in  the  green  bottom 
lands  of  the  Rio  Grande,  you  see  before  you  a 
great  drab  mound  of  solid  walls,  with  openings 
here  and  there.  These  walls  are  built  in  ter- 
races, each  flat  on  top,  with  a  higher  wall  be- 
hind it  and  another  behind  that,  until  in  some 
cases  five  stories  are  built.  Strips  of  what  ap- 
pear to  be  lattice  work,  drab  in  color,  are  placed 
irregularly  against  the  walls.  They  were  made 
of  mud,  as  in  a  mould,  and  placed  there  for  lad- 
ders. Such  structures  could  be  raised  only  by  a 
powerful  despotic  sovereign. 

A  fortified  village  at  Spring  Creek,  Tennes- 
see, by  the  mound  builders,  on  being  compared 
with  a  Mandan  fortified  village  in  Dakota,  was 
found  to  be  essentially  similar.  Each  was  built 
on  a  high  promontory  in  a  bend  in  the  river,  the 

77 


of 

earthwork  fortifications  consisting  of  a  circular 
bank;  within  were  houses.  There  seems  to  be  a 
close  relationship  between  the  Mandan  Indians, 
the  Pueblos,  the  Zuni  and  the  Mound  Builders, 
and  in  all  probability  the  Aztecs  and  Mayas. 

Frank  Gushing,  agent  of  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitute, was  sent  to  study  the  Zuni  Indians  and 
their  civilization.  He  was  hospitably  received, 
and  learned  from  them  their  traditions  of  the 
Ocean  of  Sunrise,  the  Atlantic;  the  Ocean  of 
Sunset,  the  Pacific;  the  Ocean  of  Hot  Water, 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  the  Ocean  of  Everlasting 
Snow,  the  Arctic  Sea. 

He,  to  strengthen  his  own  influence,  proposed 
to  take  them  on  a  trip  to  the  Ocean  of  Sunrise, 
where  they  desired  to  go  to  get  some  of  the  wa- 
ter of  the  Sunrise  to  use  in  their  incantation  to 
produce  rain.  Their  Zuni  forefathers  taught 
them  to  pray  to  the  spirits  dwelling  in  the  Wa- 
ters of  the  Sunrise,  that  their  land  might  be  blest 
with  rain  and  their  prayers  brought  rain,  but 
these  prayers  could  not  be  efficacious  without  a 
drop  of  water  from  the  ocean.  They  wondered 
if  each  of  the  large  houses  they  saw  in  Chicago 
was  the  home  of  a  separate  clan,  and  when  they 
saw  Lake  Michigan  it  was  hard  to  make  them 
understand  that  this  was  not  the  ocean  of  the 
Rising  Sun,  whither  they  were  tending,  until 
they  were  told  to  taste  the  water  which  was  not 
salt. 

The  Zuni  Mesa  is  a  rock  a  thousand  feet  high 
and  two  miles  long,  flat  on  top;  a  terraced  hill, 

78 


ic  Cimes 


the  highest  terrace  like  an  island.  There  are 
a  number  of  adobe  structure  connected  with  one 
another,  in  rows  and  squares,  piled  up  length- 
wise, five  and  six  stories  high,  each  receding 
from  the  one  below  it,  like  steps  of  a  gigantic 
round  honey  comb.  Everywhere  the  structures 
bristle  with  ladders,  chimneys  and  rafters.  The 
ladders  are  heavy  and  long,  leaning  at  angles 
against  the  roofs.  The  chimneys  are  made  of 
bottomless  earthen  pots  piled  one  on  another  and 
cemented  mud.  Scattered  over  the  structure 
were  little  round-topped  ovens,  like  the  halves  of 
great  egg  shells,  with  holes  in  the  top  for  smoke. 
These  were  placed  at  the  edges  of  the  terraces. 

Charles  Wolcott  Brook  read  before  the  Cali- 
fornia Association  of  Science  a  paper  on  the 
origin  of  the  Chinese  race,  maintaining  China 
had  been  colonized  from  America.  According  to 
Chinese  annals,  Tai  Ko  Fokee,  the  great  stranger 
King  in  China,  is  represented  as  having  horns  on 
his  head  like  Moses. 

His  successors  are  said  to  have  introduced 
into  China  picture  writing  like  that  in  use  in 
Central  America  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Con- 
quest. He  taught  the  motions  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  and  divided  the  time  into  years  and 
months.  He  brought  other  useful  arts  and  sci- 
ences. 

There  was  found  at  Copan,  Central  America, 
a  figure  like  the  Chinese  foke  with  two  horns. 
There  is  a  close  resemblance  between  the  Chi- 
nese and  Central  American  figures,  representing 

79 


of 

earth  and  heaven.  Either  one  people  learned 
from  the  other  or  they  both  acquired  it  from  a 
common  source.  There  are  many  indications 
that  they  removed  in  remote  ages  from  America. 
Chinese  records  claim  the  progenitors  of  the  Chi- 
nese came  from  across  the  sea. 


Cimes 


CHAPTER  V. 

ANCIENT  ARCHITECTS. 

When  the  Spaniards  entered  Mexico  early  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  they  found  the  Aztecs  in 
possession  of  a  broad  empire  stretching  from 
ocean  to  ocean.  They  learned,  however,  that  the 
Aztecs  had  occupied  the  land  only  since  the 
opening  of  the  thirteenth  century,  having  driven 
the  Toltecs,  their  predecessors,  farther  south. 
The  Toltecs  brought  the  first  elements  of  civili- 
zation to  Mexico,  but  though  proficient  in  archi- 
tectories  they  were  unskilled  in  warfare,  and 
were  forced  to  give  way  before  the  Aztecs,  leav- 
ing their  massive  temples  and  finding  refuge  in 
Yucatan  and  Peru. 

The  Toltecs  seem  to  have  come  into  Mexico 
from  the  northwest.  They  were  proficient  in 
building  and  agriculture  and  many  other  useful 
mechanical  arts,  and  they  were  nice  workers  in 
metal.  They  used  the  complex  arrangement  for 
reckoning  time  afterwards  adopted  by  the  Az- 
tecs. They  established  their  capital  at  Tula, 
north  of  the  Mexican  Valley,  and  the  remains 
of  their  extensive  buildings  remained  at  the 
time  of  the  Spanish  conquest.  The  name  Toltec 

81 


ninnies  of 

signifies  Architect,  and  they,  probably,  are  the 
builders  of  the  extensive  ruins  of  Yucatan. 

The  Toltecs  worshiped  Quetzalcoatl,  who  was 
a  tall  white  man  with  white  skin,  long-  dark  hair 
and  a  flowing  beard.  During  his  residence  in 
Mexico  he  is  said  to  have  taught  men  the  use  of 
metals,  the  arts  of  agriculture  and  government; 
under  his  leadership  the  ground  teemed  with 
fruits,  flowers,  corn  and  cotton.  When  he  left 
the  country  he  stopped  on  his  journey  at  Cho- 
lula,  where  a  temple  was  dedicated  to  him,  the 
massive  remains  of  which  still  exist.  When  he 
reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  he  embarked  in  a 
magic  boat  made  of  serpents'  skins,  and  left  for 
Tlapallan,  promising  his  followers  to  return. 

It  was  thought  that  this  god  aided  Cortez  and 
his  six  hundred  men  to  conquer  the  millions  of 
Aztecs. 

The  ruins  of  Yucatan  comprise  massive  lime- 
stone structures  built  on  broad  terraced  plat- 
forms, highly  ornamented. 

At  the  ruins  of  Chichen  the  largest  building  is 
638  feet  around,  made  in  three  terraces,  65  feet 
high.  The  staircase  leading  to  the  summit  is  56 
feet  wide,  and  the  rooms  on  the  top  are  47  feet 
long  and  9  feet  wide.  The  roof  is  of  stone, 
arched.  Close  by  are  two  walls  275  feet  long, 
30  feet  thick  and  30  feet  apart. 

The  Toltecs  had  headquarters  in  Mexico  at 
Tula.  They  came  across  the  sea  from  the  east, 
and  they  spread  out  over  a  large  territory,  build- 
ing immense  structures,  the  remains  of  which  are 

82 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

to  be  found  in  Mexico,  Yucatan,  Central  Amer- 
ica and  Peru.  They  probably  came  to  Mexico 
more  than  10,000  years  ago,  from  some  place  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  where  they  had  acquired 
their  civilization,  bringing  with  them  arts  and 
sciences.  They  built  pyramids  to  the  sun  and 
moon  at  Teotihuacan,  twenty-five  miles  east  of 
the  City  of  Mexico.  The  pyramid  Chobolu  was 
built  long  before  the  Aztecs.  They  worshiped 
as  their  supreme  god,  Quatzalcohtl,  to  whom 
they  offered  fruits  and  flowers. 

The  Toltecs  were  a  tall  race,  probably  eight 
feet  in  height,  with  red  or  brown  complexion, 
not  unlike  the  ancient  Greeks. 

The  Aztecs  were  an  agricultural  people,  who 
raised  cotton  and  knew  how  to  spin  and  weave. 
They  wrote  on  skins,  leaves  and  on  cotton  cloth. 
It  was  picture  writing.  They  had  no  domestic 
animals.  Their  objects  of  worship  were  ser- 
pents and  grotesque  animal  effigies.  They  de- 
lighted in  blood  and  in  human  sacrifice.  They 
called  their  edifices  for  worship  Teocalles,  which 
were  pyramids  like  the  temple  of  Belus  at  Baby- 
lon. The  sides  were  always  placed  parallel  to 
the  meridian.  Their  observation  of  the  skies 
and  the  construction  of  their  calendar  was  like 
the  ancient  calendar  of  the  people  of  Tartary, 
Hindu  and  Thibet. 

The  Aztecs  are,  on  an  average,  5  feet  3  inches 
high ;  the  shape  of  their  skulls  show  them  to  be 
between  the  dolicho-cephalic  and  the  brachy- 
cephalic  index,  about  78.  Their  faces  were  oval, 

83 


Hi D Dies  of 

with  low  forehead,  high  cheek  tones,  long  eyes 
sloping  outward  toward  the  temples,  fleshy  lips, 
wide  noses,  coarse  features,  stolid  expression, 
complexion  dark  yellow  to  brown,  straight, 
coarse,  black  hair,  and  scanty  beards.  They  are 
somewhat  like  Asiatics,  and  their  language  dif- 
fers from  that  of  their  neighbors  in  Central 
America  or  Peru. 

The  tribes  of  Mexico  and  Central  America 
had  a  religious  ceremony  in  which  they  partook 
of  cakes,  with  the  Taw  and  Egyptian  cross,  re- 
sembling the  sacred  cakes  of  the  Egyptians, 
claimed  to  be  the  flesh  of  their  gods,  imparting 
a  divine  virtue.  These  peoples  also  had  a  priest- 
hood and  monastic  orders,  male  and  female. 
They  embalmed  their  dead,  worshiped  the  sun 
as  god,  the  moon  and  stars.  They  had  a  virgin 
mother  of  the  God  like  Beltis,  Isis  and  other 
Goddesses  of  the  East.  The  Spanish  priests 
noted  these  similarities,  but  ascribed  them  to  the 
work  of  the  devil  to  confuse  the  true  worshipers. 
The  rites  of  the  sun  worship  resembled  the  rit- 
uals of  the  Druids;  like  the  latter  they  claimed 
to  be  the  children  of  the  Sun.  An  Ark  was  one 
of  their  sacred  symbols,  as  well  as  in  India  and 
with  the  Jews.  The  ark  was  a  portable  temple, 
too  sacred  to  be  touched  by  any  one  but  the 
priests. 

A  pyramid  is  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Mountain 
that  was  in  the  center  of  Eden,  the  Aztec  repre- 
sentation of  a  mountain  in  Atzlan,  the  original 
island  home  of  their  race,  the  Olympus  of  At- 

84 


Cfmes 

lantis.  Dr.  Lee  Plongem,  who  spent  four  years 
in  Yucatan,  traveling  and  exploring,  says :  "One- 
third  of  the  Maya  language  is  like  the  Greek; 
some  words  are  like  the  Assyrian." 

At  the  end  of  each  cycle  of  52  years,  in  Mexi- 
co, the  Aztecs  believed  the  end  of  the  world  was 
threatened,  and  as  the  time  drew  near  the  people 
cleaned  their  houses  and  put  out  all  fires.  On  the 
last  day,  after  sunset,  the  priests  set  out  in  pro- 
cession for  the  hill  of  Huixachtla,  there  to  watch 
the  approach  of  the  Pleiades  to  the  zenith,  the 
sign  to  light  new  fires.  The  most  perfect,  physic- 
ally, of  the  captives  was  placed  on  the  altar.  The 
fire  was  kindled  on  his  breast  by  a  wooden  drill 
in  the  hands  of  the  priest.  The  victim's  heart  was 
torn  out,  and  his  body  thrown  on  the  fire  lighted 
with  the  new  flame.  The  people  from  their 
housetops  watched  for  the  sacred  flame,  and 
when  seen  they  began  feasting  and  rejoicing  at 
the  opening  of  a  new  cycle. 

The  acme  of  religious  bloodthirstiness  and 
cruelty  was  reached  by  the  Aztecs  in  the  cere- 
monies to  the  worship  of  their  God,  Hmbzilo- 
pochtle.  They  did  not  slay  the  prisoners  taken 
in  battle,  but  kept  them  for  sacrifice,  which  sac- 
rifices were  made  on  the  top  platforms  of  their 
temples.  The  victim  was  stripped  and  extended 
upon  the  sacrificial  stone,  his  arms  and  legs  ex- 
tended and  held  by  four  priests.  The  execu- 
tioner, the  chief  Priest,  wore  a  red  garment, 
on  his  head  was  a  crown  of  yellow  and  green 
feathers.  He  used  an  obsidian  knife,  with  which 

85 


of 

he  opened  the  breast  of  the  victim,  between  the 
ribs ;  into  the  orifice  so  made  he  thrust  his  hands 
and  plucked  out  the  palpitating,  throbbing  heart, 
which  he  placed  in  a  vessel  before  the  god.  The 
body  was  thrown  to  the  ground  from  the  top  of 
the  temple,  where  the  warrior  who  had  captured 
the  prisoner  victim,  if  he  could  recognize  it,  was 
entitled  to  the  privilege  of  cooking  and  eating 
the  arms,  thighs  and  breast ;  the  rest  of  the  body 
was  given  to  the  beasts  in  the  menagerie  for 
food.  The  number  of  victims  sacrificed  was 
enormous,  some  records  giving  as  high  as  72,344 
sacrifices  at  one  time.  The  gods  were  supposed 
to  delight  in  such  sacrifices.  Not  only  prisoners 
were  sacrificed,  but  many  times  the  Aztecs 
offered  themselves  for  sacrifice,  believing  that  to 
be  sacrificed  opened  the  gates  to  paradise.  There 
are  tribes  still  extant  in  Mexico  who  annually 
sacrifice  human  victims.  They,  however,  prefer 
a  white  man. 

Aztecs,  properly  the  name  of  one  of  the  vari- 
ous tribes  who  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Con- 
quest occupied  the  plateau  of  Mexico,  has  been 
used  as  synonymous  with  Mexicans.  The  vari- 
ous tribes  were  the  Xochimilcos,  Chalcos,  Te- 
panecas,  Acolhuas,  Tezucans,  Tlascaltecas  and 
Aztecas,  which  collectively  bore  the  name  of 
Nahuatlecas,  and  their  language  was  called 
Nahuatl.  Tradition  variously  represents  these 
families  emerging  from  seven  caverns  in  a  re- 
gion called  Aztlan,  or  wandering  away  from 
their  fellows  subsequently  to  a  grand  cataclysm, 

86 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

and  after  a  distribution  of  tongues.  These  tra- 
ditions, however,  do  not  fall  within  the  domain 
of  history,  and  critical  writers  have  preferred 
to  confine  their  researches  within  the  period 
fixed  by  the  Mexican  paintings  or  records.  Sev- 
eral of  these  are  in  existence,  and,  although  dif- 
fering considerably  in  their  chronology,  they  do 
not  carry  back  the  history  of  the  Aztecs  and 
their  affiliated  tribes  beyond  the  nth  and  I2th 
centuries  of  our  era.  There  is  abundant  evi- 
dence, nevertheless,  that  the  plateau  of  Mexico 
was  occupied  for  many  ages  anterior  to  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Nahuatlecas  by  a  people  of  much 
higher  culture,  of  whose  civilization  that  of  the 
Aztecs  was  but  a  rude  reflection.  The  locality 
of  the  traditional  Aztlan  has  been  a  subject  of 
much  speculation.  By  some  writers  it  has  been 
supposed  that  this  primitive  seat  of  the  Na- 
huatlecas was  in  Asia,  and  the  paintings,  all  of 
which  depict  the  passage  over  a  body  of  water  in 
canoes  or  rafts,  represent  a  migration  to  Amer- 
ica from  that  continent.  Most,  however,  im- 
agine Atzlan  to  have  been  somewhere  to  the 
north  of  Mexico,  beyond  the  river  Gila. 

In  the  painting  representing  the  migration  of 
the  Aztecs,  originally  published  by  Gemelli  Car- 
rera  in  his  Giro  del  Hondo,  the  sign  or  hiero- 
glyphic of  Aztlan  is  accompanied  by  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  teocalli,  or  temple,  by  the  side  of 
which  stands  a  palm  tree,  a  circumstance  which 
excited  the  astonishment  of  the  cautious  Hum- 
boldt,  as  opposed  to  the  opinion  that  Aztlan  was 

87 


BtDDles  of 

to  be  looked  for  in  a  northern  latitude.  The 
palm  certainly  points  southward  as  the  direction 
whence  the  traditional  migration  took  place ;  and 
this  indication  is  supported  by  the  fact  that  a 
people  speaking  the  same  language  with  the  Az- 
tecs and  having  identical  habits,  laws  and  re- 
ligious observances,  existed  as  far  south  as 
Nicaragua,  and  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  oc- 
cupied nearly  the  whole  of  the  present  San  Sal- 
vador. According  to  Gemelli's  painting,  the  de- 
parture of  the  seven  tribes  took  place  in  the  year 
1038  of  our  era.  The  event  may  have  happened 
a  century  later,  in  1160.  But  uncertainty  is  at- 
tached to  all  dates  previous  to  the  foundation  of 
the  city  of  Mexico,  1324  or  1325.  Tradition 
and  painting  represent  that  various  halts  and 
stoppages  took  place  after  leaving  Aztlan,  before 
the  seven  tribes  reached  the  valley  of  Mexico ; 
and  the  time  occupied  is  variously  estimated 
from  56  to  163  years.  According  to  the  paint- 
ing representing  this  migration,  they  made  not 
less  than  22  stoppages,  varying  from  4  to  28 
years  in  length,  altogether  occupying  162  years, 
before  reaching  Chapultepec.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  the  various  tribes  all  arrived  at  the 
same  time,  but  came  in  and  took  up  their  posi- 
tions successively.  They  found  the  country  rich 
and  attractive  and  occupied  by  a  remnant  of  an 
anterior  and  powerful  people,  who  had  left  nu- 
merous monuments  of  their  greatness.  From 
these  they  learned  many  of  the  arts,  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil,  and  the  workings  of  metals.  At 

88 


first  they  seem  to  have  lived  in  harmony  with 
each  other,  but  gradually  the  stronger  tribes  be- 
gan to  encroach  upon  the  weaker,  which  led  to 
combinations  for  defence  and  a  long  series  of 
bloody  wars.  The  Mexicans  ranked  as  the  sev- 
enth tribe,  and  seem  to  have  assumed  the  name 
of  Aztecas,  par  excellence.  They  were  estab- 
lished first  at  Chapultepec,  but  gradually  en- 
croach on  neighboring  lands,  and  finally,  under 
the  head  of  a  succession  of  military  chiefs,  be- 
came the  most  powerful  tribe  in  Anahuac,  and 
established  their  imperial  city  in  the  lake  of 
Chalco.  The  site,  like  that  of  Venice,  a  few  low 
islands  in  a  great  lake,  was  chosen  for  defence, 
and  the  Mexicans  strengthened  the  position.  It 
could  only  be  approached  over  long  and  narrow 
causeways,  easily  defended,  which  even  the 
Spaniards  were  not  successful  in  forcing.  Com- 
manding the  lake  with  numerous  fleets  of  boats, 
they  were  unassailable  from  the  water.  From 
this  stronghold  they  gradually  reduced  their 
neighbors,  their  companions  from  Aztlan,  or 
forced  them  into  a  kind  of  dependent  alliance, 
which  served  to  build  up  their  power  and  influ- 
ence; so  that,  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Cor- 
tes, the  Mexican  emperor  exercised  a  qualified 
dominion  over  nearly  all  the  aboriginal  nations 
within  the  present  boundaries  of  Mexico.  This 
power  was  often  exercised  without  mercy,  and 
many  thousands  of  their  captured  enemies  were 
sacrificed  on  the  altars  of  their  sanguinary  di- 
vinities. How  severely  their  yoke  was  felt,  and 

89 


of 

how  eagerly  it  was  thrown  off,  is  shown  by  the 
readiness  with  which  the  Tlascalans,  their  own 
kindred,  joined  the  Spaniards  in  an  attack  on  the 
Mexican  capital. 

The  form  of  government  was  an  elective  mon- 
archy ;  the  legislative  powers  resided  wholly  with 
the  king.  The  administration  of  the  laws  be- 
longed to  certain  judicial  tribunals,  and  was  con- 
ducted with  great  regularity  and  Draconic  stern- 
ness. Their  religion  was  sanguinary  in  most  of 
its  practices ;  yet  it  combined  the  elements  of  a 
milder  system,  probably,  than  that  of  their  Teo- 
hautecan  predecessors,  whose  religion  was 
closely  allied  to  the  Buddhist  system  of  India. 
Essentially  a  warlike  nation,  they  regarded 
bravery  as  the  highest  virtue.  While  the  soul 
of  the  common  citizen  was  believed  to  undergo 
a  purgatorial  existence  after  death,  that  of  the 
warrior  who  fell  in  battle  was  caught  up  at  once 
to  the  abode  of  the  gods,  to  the  bosom  of  the 
sun,  to  the  heaven  of  the  eternal  delights.  In 
the  arts,  and  especially  in  the  architecture,  the 
Mexicans  achieved  an  advance  corresponding 
with  their  numerical  and  political  growth,  and 
the  islands,  which  at  the  outset  supported  only 
rude  huts  of  cane  and  thatch,  came  to  be  cov- 
ered with  imposing  structures  blazing  with  gold 
and  silver  and  copper.  A  specie  of  brass  was 
well  known  and  elaborately  worked,  but  iron, 
except  in  its  metallic  form,  was  unknown. 

Among  the  Mayas  of  Central  America  it  was 
believed  the  Sorcerers  could  transform  them- 

90 


Prehistoric  Cime$ 

selves  into  various  animals;  the  Thinklets  of 
Alaska  believe  their  shamans  have  the  same 
power. 

The  Zunis,  the  Aztecs  and  the  American  In- 
dians, the  people  in  Southern  India  and  other 
peoples  in  all  parts  of  the  world  thought  their 
dead  assumed  the  forms  of  snakes  and  other 
animals,  reverting  to  the  form  of  the  animal 
from  which  they  descended.  Laocoon,  warning 
the  Trojans  to  beware  of  Grecian  wiles,  was  de- 
voured by  the  sea  serpent.  On  the  death  of 
Plotinus,  as  he  gave  up  the  ghost,  a  snake  glided 
from  under  his  bed  into  a  hole  in  the  wall. 

In  Central  America  the  remains  of  50  or  60 
cities  have  been  discovered,  those  of  Cholula, 
Palenque,  Uxmal,  Tescuco  and  Nutla  being  the 
greatest  and  most  interesting.  One  structure  at 
Palenque  was  280  feet  square  at  the  base,  and 
60  feet  high  to  the  platform  on  which  was  con- 
structed the  temple,  measuring  76  by  25  feet,  a 
low  building  with  a  roof  of  stone.  Most  of  the 
structures  are  extensive,  built  chiefly  on  massive 
stone  basements  and  surmounted  by  cornices. 
Among  them  are  several  examples  of  vaults  hav- 
ing an  arch  form  similar  to  structures  of  the  old 
world  arch.  They,  however,  show  an  advance 
upon  the  Pelasgic  and  Gallic  Monuments  of  the 
old  world. 

In  Mexico  and  Central  America  pyramids  are 
found  everywhere.  Cortez  wrote  a  letter  to 
Charles  V,  in  which  he  stated  he  had  counted 
450  of  them  to  Cholula.  The  most  ancient  pyra- 

91 


KiDtJle0  of 

mid  in  Mexico  is  at  Teotihuacan,  eight  leagues 
from  the  City  of  Mexico.  The  two  largest  were 
dedicated  to  the  sun  and  the  moon,  each  built  of 
stone.  The  larger  one  is  680  feet  square  at  the 
base,  is  200  feet  high,  and  covers  eleven  acres. 

The  ruins  of  Yucatan  are  pyramids  terraced, 
the  ascents  being  by  wide  steps.  The  chambers 
in  the  buildings  are  generally  longer  than  wide; 
they  have  no  windows,  but  receive  light  from 
the  doors  like  the  rooms  built  in  Babylon  and 
other  Eastern  lands.  The  rooms  are  built  in 
two  parallel  rows ;  the  inner  rooms  receive  light 
from  their  outside  rooms  into  which  the  doors 
open.  They  are  ornamented  with  sculpture  and 
cornices,  covered  with  stucco. 

At  Palenque  the  largest  building  stands  on  a 
terrace  faced  with  flat  stone.  This  stone,  cov- 
ered with  stucco,  fronts  the  east  and  has  four- 
teen doors  into  the  rooms,  separated  by  piers 
covered  with  stucco. 

The  ruins  at  Copan,  Honduras,  appear  to  have 
been  a  temple  with  several  buildings,  enclosed 
like  the  temples  of  ancient  Egypt.  The  ruins  at 
Palenque  are  similar  and  show  that  the  former 
inhabitants  of  Chipas  and  Honduras  had  the 
same  written  language  or  characters. 

At  Uxmal,  Yucatan,  are  found  magnificent 
ruins  of  a  similar  character.  The  principal 
building  was  a  very  magnificent  pyramid  in 
three  terraces  faced  with  cut  stone.  The  first  ter- 
race is  575  feet  long,  3  feet  high  and  15  feet 
wide ;  the  second  is  545  feet  long,  250  feet  wide 

92 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

and  20  feet  high;  the  third  terrace  is  360  feet 
long,  30  feet  wide  and  19  feet  wide  from  the 
center  to  the  second  terrace.  A  flight  of  steps, 
130  feet  wide,  led  to  the  temple,  the  front  of 
which  is  322  feet  long,  and  about  25  feet  high. 
The  upper  half  of  the  front  is  ornamented  above 
the  cornice.  There  are  two  parallel  rows  of 
rooms,  eleven  in  each  row,  the  doors  to  which 
are  the  only  source  of  light.  The  roof  is  sup- 
ported by  hard  wood  beams  covered  with 
cement.  In  a  building  on  the  lower  level,  the 
floor  is  covered  with  sculptured  turtles,  the 
heads  together  in  groups  of  four,  requiring 
43,660  turtles  for  the  floor. 

The  ruins  of  Chichen,  Yucatan,  extend  over 
two  miles.  One  of  the  best  preserved  buildings 
is  constructed  with  three  terraces,  the  buildings 
on  the  second  terrace  have  a  sculptured  fagade. 
The  staircase  is  56  feet  wide.  The  rooms  are  47 
feet  long,  9  feet  wide,  with  roofs  covered  over 
with  stone. 

Yucatan  is  strewn  with  ancient  ruins,  the 
vestiges  of  grandeur.  Four  miles  from  Menda 
are  four  large  mounds  surrounding  the  central 
square.  The  largest  is  150  feet  high,  and  the 
temple  on  its  summit  was  dedicated  to  Kinic- 
kakmoo  (fiery  Makaw,  with  eyes  like  the  sun). 
It  is  said  that  at  midday  the  Macaw  flew  down 
from  heaven  and  burned  the  sacrifice  offered  in 
her  temple.  It  is  probable  the  priests  lighted 
the  fires  by  reflecting  mirrors  arranged  to  con- 

93 


BiDDle*  of 

centrate  the  sun's  rays.  The  three  other  mounds 
were  dedicated  to  other  gods. 

This  people  of  the  new  world  believed  in  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  the  resurrection  of  the 
body  and  preserved  their  dead  as  did  the  Egyp- 
tians. 

The  Peruvians,  Mexicans,  Central  Americans, 
Egyptians,  Phoenicians  and  Hebrews  each  had  a 
powerful  hereditary  priesthood. 

The  traditions  of  the  Americans  told  of  a  time 
when  there  fell  a  rain  of  fire  and  gravel.  The 
mythological  story  of  Phaeton,  the  son  of  Helios 
attempting  to  drive  the  chariot  of  the  sun,  there- 
by causing  the  burning  of  the  earth,  and  the  story 
of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gormorrah 
seem  to  be  the  same  legend. 

Among  the  early  Greeks,  Pan  was  the  ancient 
god,  and  Maia  was  his  wife.  Pan  was  adored 
in  Mexico  and  Central  America.  At  Panico 
the  Spaniards  found  magnificent  temples  dedi- 
cated to  him.  The  name  Maya  was  given  to  the 
civilization  at  Mayapan. 

The  dead  bodies  of  the  caciques  of  Bogota, 
South  America,  were  protected  from  destruction 
by  diverting  the  course  of  a  stream  and  making 
the  grave  in  its  bed. 

There  is  a  curious  custom  prevailing  among 
many  peoples  from  China  to  America  which  re- 
quires that  when  a  child  is  born  the  father  must 
go  to  bed,  while  the  mother  goes  about  her  work 
as  usual.  This  practice  prevails  among  the  hill 
tribes  in  China.  Strabo  mentions  it  among  the 

94 


Cime« 

customs  of  the  Iberians  in  Spain.  It  existed 
among  the  Basques  of  France,  in  Corsica, 
among  the  Tiberians  to  the  south  of  the  Black 
Sea;  among  the  Indians  of  North  and  South 
America  and  among  the  Caribs  in  the  West  In- 
dies. 

The  Brazilian  father  took  to  his  hammock  on 
the  birth  of  a  child,  and  remained  fifteen  days. 
The  Esquimaux  father  would  not  hunt  for  some 
days  after  the  birth  of  a  child. 

Who  were  the  builders  of  the  gigantic  struc- 
tures whose  ruined  walls  still  stand  in  Mexico, 
Yucatan  and  Peru,  is  not  known,  nor  by  what 
means  they  became  extinct.  The  elevation  above 
the  sea  forbids  their  extinction  by  a  flood.  They 
lived  in  mountains  along  the  range  of  which  were 
many  volcanoes,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  vol- 
canoes became  active  and  belched  forth  their 
lava  and  death-dealing  gases,  like  unto  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Pompeii  and 
Martinique. 

The  Thinklets  in  Alaska  have  an  old  story. 
Long  ago  the  earth  sank  beneath  the  water,  and 
the  waters  rose  and  covered  all  but  the  highest 
places  so  that  no  man  could  live.  It  rained  hard, 
as  if  the  sea  fell  from  the  sky,  and  all  was  black, 
so  dark  men  could  not  know  one  from  another. 
Some,  in  despair,  got  together  some  cedar  logs 
for  a  raft,  but  it  could  not  stand  against  the 
rough  waves.  It  broke  in  two,  and  on  one  part 
of  it  were  the  ancestors  of  the  Thinklets ;  on  the 
other  the  ancestors  of  all  other  people.  In  the 

95 


UiDDIcs  Of 

black  tempest  Chethl,  the  ospery  was  separated 
from  his  sister,  woman,  who  supports  the  earth. 
Chethl  called  to  his  sister,  "You  will  never  see 
me  again,  but  you  will  hear  my  voice.  Then  she 
became  an  enormous  bird,  and  flew  away  to  the 
southwest.  The  sister  climbed  the  mountain, 
which  opened  to  receive  her.  The  crater  of 
Edgecomb  Mountain  shows  where  she  sank  into 
the  mountain.  There  she  holds  the  earth  above 
the  water.  Evil  spirits  try  to  overthrow  her, 
and  earthquakes  are  the  result  of  her  struggle 
with  the  spirits  of  evil. 

Chethl  lives  in  the  top  of  a  mountain,  in  the 
hole  where  his  sister  went  down.  He  rides  on 
the  edge  of  the  storm ;  the  roaring  of  the  tem- 
pest is  his  voice  calling  to  his  sister.  He  claps 
his  wings,  and  the  thunder  results;  and  the 
lightning  is  the  flashing  of  his  eyes. 


Cimes 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AN  AGE  OF  GOLD. 

Before  the  Incas,  Peru  was  held  by  a  nation 
or  nations  who  lived  in  large  cities  and  whose 
civilization,  language  and  religion  differed  from 
and  in  some  particulars  were  more  advanced 
than  those  of  the  Incas,  who  succeeded  them.  It 
is  not  known  whence  these  primitive  people 
came,  but  they  may  have  been  of  the  same  stock 
as  the  Toltecs.  Their  architectural  achievements 
were  viewed  with  astonishment  by  the  Incas, 
who  accepted  them  as  models. 

The  religion  of  these  people  seems  to  have 
been  a  pure  theism,  for  when  the  victorious  In- 
cas entered  Pachacamac,  now  deserted,  they 
found  there  a  stately  temple,  whose  heavy  doors 
were  of  gold,  inlaid  with  precious  stones,  rival- 
ing the  famous  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Cuzco  in 
magnificence,  but  which  contained  no  image  or 
visible  symbol  of  a  god.  The  superstitious  con- 
querors feared  to  destroy  the  structure  and  con- 
tented themselves  with  building  a  sun  temple, 
to  the  worship  of  which  they  gradually  won  over 
the  inhabitants  by  means  of  festivals,  miracles 
and  pleasing  rites. 

97 


HiDDle*  of 

The  masonry  in  the  ancient  Maya  and  Peru- 
vian constructions  have  peculiarities  similar  to 
the  ancient  ruins  of  India,  Arabia,  Egypt, 
Greece,  Asia  Minor,  Arabia  and  Chaldea.  Open- 
ings in  the  walls  were  alike,  narrower  at  the  top 
than  at  the  bottom,  and  cement  and  stuccoes 
were  used  in  the  same  way  in  both ;  the  arch  was 
made  the  same.  The  manufacture  of  brick  was 
undertaken  in  the  new  world  and  old.  The 
scroll  and  further  ornamentation  were  the  same; 
sculpture  and  statuary  were  used  by  both. 

In  Peru  there  are  many  colossal  ruins  built  of 
huge  and  massive  stone.  There  are  massive 
stone  idols,  huge  pillars  and,  in  the  valley  of 
Lake  Titicaca,  a  huge  circular  temple  of  upright 
stones  and  sculptured  monolithic  gateways.  At 
Pachacamac,  the  ruin  of  a  temple  existed,  built 
in  honor  of  the  deity  Pachacamac  or  the  earth 
beater. 

The  Peruvian  masonry  was  superior  to  the 
Mexican.  The  ancient  fortress  at  Cuzco  was 
constructed  of  immense  stones  30  feet  long,  cut 
with  great  accuracy;  the  joints  are  hardly  per- 
ceivable. The  cutting  implements  were  copper 
hardened  with  tin.  The  palaces  and  temples  had 
slanting  side  to  the  doors,  sloping  roofs,  but  no 
windows. 

The  Peruvians  worshiped  the  sun,  the  moon, 
the  stars,  the  spirit  of  the  thunder,  and  the  rain- 
bow. They  ascribed  to  their  Incas  celestial 
origin.  The  temple  of  the  sun  at  Cuzco  was 
magnificent,  with  plates  of  gold  and  the  disk  of 

98 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

the  sun  wrought  in  pure  gold.  Their  custom  of 
conducting  all  affairs  by  rule  and  providing  the 
people  with  sufficient  food  for  subsistence  and 
compelling  each  to  do  a  certain  amount  of  labor, 
took  away  all  spirit  of  enterprise  and  initiative 
from  the  people  and  made  them  stupid  and 
nearly  imbecile.  The  civilization  was  akin  to  the 
Chinese.  They  kept  records  by  knotted  cords, 
like  the  Chinese,  and  their  pottery  was  alike. 

The  Inca  civilization,  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Peruvians  were  unique ;  nothing  like  it  ex- 
isted elsewhere  in  America.  It  appears  to  have 
been  patterned  after  the  Chinese  models ;  both 
have  elaborate  systems  of  regulations  of  control 
of  the  common  people.  China  has  been  said  to 
be  a  great  school  in  which  the  officers  are  the 
masters  and  the  people  the  scholars,  like  the 
monastery  where  each  person  has  his  place  and 
duty  assigned. 

Official  authority  is  by  far  too  complicated 
a  system  to  have  been  originated  by  a  half-civil- 
ized people,  as  the  Peruvians  undoubtedly  were ; 
it  was  the  growth  of  ages. 

The  Inca  assumed  the  attitude  of  father  to 
the  people.  He  was  sprung  from  progenitors 
who  had  descended  from  heaven,  son  of  god. 
The  Peruvians  manufactured  pottery,  they  un- 
derstood the  use  of  cotton,  and  had  the  art  of 
spinning  and  weaving. 

The  Chinese  government  built  and  maintained 
roads  and  means  of  transportation  from  one  dis- 
trict to  another  as  did  also  the  Peruvians  on 

99 


of 

the  same  plan  and  in  a  similar  manner,  even  in- 
cluding suspension  bridges  of  twisted  twigs,  as 
were  used  in  China  and  Thibet. 

This  was  not  done  elsewhere  in  America, 
neither  north,  south  nor  in  Central  America. 
The  Chinese  did  not  bury  their  dead,  but  laid 
their  dead  on  the  top  of  the  ground,  constructing 
over  them  a  mound  of  earth;  the  same  practice 
prevailed  in  Peru.  The  Chinese  in  their  archi- 
tecture had  a  few  patterns ;  everything  was  made 
after  the  same  pattern.  The  Peruvians  adhered 
to  a  general  model  in  all  their  structures  from 
the  hovel  to  the  palace.  Both  the  Chinese  and 
Peruvians  removed  immense  blocks  of  stone 
from  quarries,  sometimes  long  distances.  The 
Peruvians  had  dramas  and  plays,  enacted  like  the 
Chinese. 

The  Peruvians  used  rafts  with  sails,  upon 
which  were  built  huts  precisely  like  the  Chinese. 
The  boats  of  both  were  steered  by  means  of 
paddles  operated  at  the  bow  and  stern.  Both 
Chinese  and  Peruvians  divided  the  year  into 
twelvemonths  of  thirty  days  each. 

The  ancient  inhabitants  of  America  from 
about  33  degrees  south  latitude  into  Mexico  ap- 
pear to  have  belonged  to  the  Toltec  tribe.  There 
are  evidences  of  an  advanced  civilization.  In 
the  dense  forests  of  Chiapas,  Mexico,  was  dis- 
covered the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city  called 
Palenque,  some  of  the  buildings  in  which  are 
300  feet  long,  20x3  feet  wide  and  30  feet  high. 

There  exist  the  ruins  of  some  40  cities  in  Yu- 

100 


RUINS   OF   A    FORGOTTEN   RACE,    MITLA,    MEXICO. 

( Kiddles  of  Preh  istoric  Times— p.  106) 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

catan.  The  walls  were  made  of  immense  hewn 
stone  laid  in  mortar.  Many  obelisks  covered 
with  carvings  and  hieroglyphic  figures  exist,  10 
to  15  feet  high  and  4  feet  in  diameter,  resem- 
bling those  of  Egypt.  The  temples  and  palaces 
are  built  usually  in  pyramidal  form  with  ter- 
races; the  summits,  usually  flat,  are  reached  by 
steps.  The  rooms  on  top  have  no  windows,  but 
are  lighted  by  doorways. 

At  Uxmal  the  largest  building  was  a  mag- 
nificent terraced  pyramid.  The  first  terrace  was 
575  feet  long,  15  feet  wide  and  3  feet  high;  the 
second  was  545  feet  long,  259  feet  wide  and  20 
feet  high ;  a  wide  staircase  leads  to  the  summit. 
The  temple  on  top  was  320  feet  long  and  25  feet 
high.  There  are  two  rows  of  rooms,  eleven  in 
each  row.  The  roofs  were  supported  by  beams 
covered  with  stone  and  cement,  and  the  floor 
was  paved  with  stone  turtles. 

Less  artistic  but  more  vast  and  massive  struc- 
tures are  found  in  Peru,  the  work  of  a  race  an- 
terior to  the  Incas.  The  double  stone  circles  at 
Stillestain  are  90  feet  and  another  150  feet,  re- 
spectively, in  diameter.  They  have  a  massive 
paved  platform  around  them  on  the  outside, 
which  is  not  found  in  similar  structures  in  the 
old  world.  The  Cromlechs  there  found  are 
domed  over  with  overlapping  stone. 

The  more  artistic  tombs  are  built  of  stone  in 
the  form  of  a  tower  and  domed. 

Some  of  the  sepulchral  mounds  are  supported 
by  immense  retaining  walls;  one  mound  is  108 

101 


l£UDDIe0  of 

feet  high  and  276  feet  long,  75  yards  wide  on 
top.  The  walls  are  of  Cyclopedean  masonry 
stones,  accurately  hewn  and  fitted,  one  stone 
being  27x14x12  feet;  many  of  the  stones  are 
15x12x10  feet. 

The  Piruas  were  the  rulers  of  a  very  ancient 
people  who  occupied  the  highlands  of  Peru  and 
Bolivia,  long  prior  to  the  Inca  dynasty.  It  was 
they  who  constructed  the  Cyclopean  structures, 
different  from  and  older  than  the  Inca  architec- 
ture. 

The  Teahuanac  structures  in  Western  Bo- 
livia consist  of  many  very  large  quadrilateral 
buildings  with  monolithic  doorways  and  broken 
statues.  The  material  is  hard  sandstone  in  im- 
mense blocks,  which  was  carried  15  miles  by 
land  and  25  miles  by  water.  The  blocks  were 
cut  and  fitted  together  with  great  skill  by  mor- 
tises and  bolts,  and  many  were  elaborately 
carved.  The  largest  and  most  remarkable  of  the 
monolithic  doorways  is  13  feet  wide,  over  7  feet 
high  and  2^4  feet  thick.  Above  the  door  it  is 
covered  with  sculptures  in  low  relief,  consisting 
of  a  central  human  figure  and  four  rows  of 
smaller  figures,  some  with  Condors  heads  and 
all  with  crowns  and  scepters.  The  structure 
called  the  fortress  is  an  artificial  mound  620  feet 
long  by  450  feet  wide  and  50  feet  high,  origi- 
nally in  terraces  faced  with  cut  stone.  The  style 
of  architecture  and  sculpture  are  unique.  The 
exact  squaring  of  the  stone  is  unsurpassed  in  all 
the  ancient  structures  of  the  world,  old  or  new. 

102 


Cfmes 

Near  Lake  Titicaca  were  colossal  idols,  huge 
structures  like  those  at  Stonehenge,  sculptured 
gateways  and  gorgeous  temples. 

The  fortress  of  Sacahauna,  overlooking  the 
City  of  Cazco,  Peru,  is  built  against  the  side 
wall  of  a  mountain.  The  work  consists  of  three 
walls,  i, 800  feet  long,  rising  one  behind  the 
other,  27,  18  and  14  feet  respectively,  built  of 
irregular  limestone  blocks  fitted  together  with 
great  skill.  The  work  is  without  doubt  the  best 
specimen  of  the  Cyclopean  architecture  in  Amer- 
ica. The  immense  stones  were  brought  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  to  be  set  in  place. 

The  Piruas  governed  a  vast  empire,  and 
erected  many  immense  edifices.  At  Cuzco  there 
was  a  statue  of  their  god,  Pachacamac,  covered 
with  gold  plate.  Sun  worship  was  prominent; 
the  moon  and  stars  were  also  reverenced.  Ani- 
mals were  sometimes  sacrificed  at  festivals,  pos- 
sibly human  beings  also. 

The  Quinchnas  Pirunas  were  fair-skinned, 
with  blue  eyes  and  auburn  hair.  Their  capital, 
Gran  Chinia,  covered  an  area  of  not  less  than 
20  square  miles,  with  pyramidal  structures.  One 
of  them,  called  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  was  812 
feet  long  by  470  feet  wide  and  150  feet  high. 

The  buildings  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Titicaca 
had  doors  and  windows,  with  posts,  caps  and 
sills  of  cut  stone.  At  Curlap,  in  northern  Peru, 
there  was  a  wall  3,600  feet  long,  560  feet  wide 
and  150  feet  high,  a  solid  mass  with  a  level  top; 
on  this  was  placed  another  wall  600  feet  long, 

103 


HiDDIcs  Of 

500  feet  wide  and  150  feet  high,  making  an  ag- 
gregate height  of  300  feet.  In  this  were  cells 
and  tombs.  Very  ancient  remains  of  large  and 
remarkable  edifices  have  been  found,  ascribed  to 
bearded  white  men,  who  long  before  the  Incas 
settled  there. 

There  were  acqueducts  of  cut  stone,  one  450 
miles  long  across  mountains  and  rivers.  There 
were  public  roads  that  ran  along  the  mountains 
from  Quito  to  Chili  and  from  Cuzco  to  the  sea; 
these  roads  were  from  20  to  25  feet  wide.  Ra- 
vines were  spanned  by  solid  rock  bridges,  and 
rivers  were  crossed  by  suspension  bridges.  These 
works  were  all  ancient  at  the  time  of  the  Incas. 

Manco  Capac,  the  traditional  father  of  the 
Inca,  was,  according  to  the  ancient  legend,  a  child 
of  the  sun,  sent  to  civilize  the  Peruvians.  He  in- 
structed them  in  industry  and  the  arts  of  social 
life.  The  religion  he  taught  was  the  worship  of 
the  sun,  the  dispenser  of  all  benefits.  His  wife, 
Manco  Ocollo,  taught  the  women  to  sew  and 
spin  and  to  lead  pure  and  virtuous  lives.  Un- 
der their  wise  rule  the  state  flourished  and  in- 
creased in  number  and  possessions. 

The  land  was  divided  into  three  portions,  one 
of  which  was  consecrated  to  the  sun,  a  second 
to  the  Inca  and  the  third  to  the  people.  The  first 
defrayed  the  expense  of  the  erection  of  the  tem- 
ples and  the  maintenance  of  the  priests,  the  sec- 
ond, the  expenses  of  the  government  and  royal 
household ;  and  the  third  was  allotted  to  the  peo- 
ple according  to  rank  and  the  number  of  each 

104 


c  Cimes 


family.  Manufactures  and  mines  were  carried 
on  in  the  same  manner. 

In  Peru  absolution  was  as  complete  as  with 
the  Natchez  and  Creeks.  The  Inca  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  gods,  was  a  god  himself,  auto- 
cratic in  religion  and  in  government.  The  land 
and  its  products  were  at  his  command.  The 
people  were  required  to  till  the  land  of  the  Inca 
and  of  the  Church,  as  in  China,  Egypt  and  Ja- 
pan. In  Peru  the  altar  of  the  sun  was  stained 
with  no  human  sacrifice,  the  offerings  being 
'fruits,  cereals,  milk  and,  on  special  occasions,  a 
lamb,  a  sheep  or  a  goat. 

The  Peruvian  worshiped  a  single  deity  and  the 
sun,  its  representative.  Quetzalcoatl,  the  foun- 
der of  the  Aztecs,  condemned  all  sacrifices  ex- 
cept fruits  and  flowers.  In  some  of  the  old  re- 
ligious rites  of  Egypt  sacrifices  were  made  only 
of  fruits  and  flowers. 

The  people  of  Peru  used  the  plough  in  agri- 
culture. The  King  put  his  hand  to  the  plough 
at  the  annual  festival,  the  same  as  did  the  Egyp- 
tian and  Chinese  Kings  on  like  occasions. 

They  had  built  magnificent  roads,  and  had  a 
system  whereby  news  was  transmitted  hundreds 
of  miles  in  a  day,  precisely  like  the  Persians  in 
the  time  of  Herodotus. 

The  Peruvians  manufactured  cloth  of  cotton 
and  wool;  they  made  beautiful  pottery  and 
glass  ;  they  engraved  gold  and  precious  stones  in 
precisely  the  same  way  as  practiced  beyond  the 
great  ocean. 

105 


of 

Both  Egyptians  and  Peruvians  held  annual 
fairs,  and  among  both  the  lands  were  divided, 
per  capita,  every  fifty-two  years.  In  Judea  the 
new  division  was  made  each  fifty  years. 

One  of  the  structures  of  Chinu,  the  pyramid 
of  Moche,  is  notable.  It  is  800  feet  long,  470 
feet  wide  and  200  feet  high,  built  of  adobe  blocks 
thirty  inches  thick,  encasing  a  core  of  clay. 

The  palace  of  the  Prince  of  Chinu  was  a 
broad,  low,  artificial  mound  built  of  adobe  con- 
taining many  small  subterranean  vaults  and 
chambers.  One  of  the  interior  halls  is  called  the 
hall  of  the  Arabesques,  42  feet  wide,  was  more 
than  twice  as  long.  The  Arabesques  ornamen- 
tation on  the  wall  is  of  stucco,  in  one-inch  relief 
and  of  very  intricate  pattern. 

Some  leagues  from  Lima,  overlooking  the  Sea, 
is  an  extensive  Huaco,  called  El  Castillo,  near 
an  extensive  cemetery;  the  soil  is  full  of  skele- 
tons of  adult  males.  The  skulls  bear  evidence 
of  violence ;  some  were  split  as  with  a  battle 
axe;  others  crushed  as  if  by  a  hammer,  while 
others  were  pierced  as  if  by  a  lance  or  arrow ; 
'the  combatants,  mayhap,  in  some  terrific  battle. 
Some  had  the  square,  compressed  skulls  of  the 
coast  dwellers,  some  the  artificially  elongated 
skulls  of  the  Aymoras  and  some  the  normal 
skulls  of  the  Quichmas  of  the  Sierra  Mountains. 

At  Stillustani,  twelve  miles  from  Lake  Titi- 
caca,  are  numerous  round  towers,  built  of  large 
stones,  admirably  fitted  and  kept  in  their  place, 
the  structure  evincing  skill  in  stone  cutting. 

106 


Cfmeg 

About  20  miles  from  Cuzco,  in  the  valley  of 
Yucay,  is  the  great  fortress  Olleanlaytambo.  The 
way  to  the  valley  is  over  high  tableland,  whence 
one  may  look  down,  4,000  feet  below,  to  the  ter- 
raced gardens  and  palaces  protected  by  im- 
pregnable fortresses. 

In  the  depression  containing  Lake  Titicaca  are 
found  ruins  which  have  been  justly  called  the 
Banlbek  of  America.  At  Tiaharanaco  are  ruins, 
a  square  mile  in  extent,  in  center  of  which  is  a 
great  terraced  mound,  the  terraces  supported  by 
a  wall  of  massive  cut  stone.  The  structure  has 
been  called  a  fortress.  The  sides  nearly  conform 
to  the  points  of  the  compass.  Close  by  is  a  struc- 
ture which  has  been  called  the  Temple,  defined 
by  lines  of  standing  stones  of  red  sandstone,  un- 
cut and  of  irregular  height.  The  stones  origi- 
nally seem  to  have  been  21  feet  6  inches  high, 
and  each  had  a  shoulder  cut  near  the  top  as  if  to 
support  a  connecting  architrave.  In  the  interior 
is  a  mound  of  earth  raised  about  8  feet  above 
the  level.  A  distance  of  57  feet  from  the  tem- 
ple is  a  terrace,  supported  by  large  stone,  8  to 
10  feet  long  by  5  feet  wide,  admirably  cut,  with 
a  corridor  30  feet  wide  all  around  it.  The  Mono- 
lithic Gateway  is  13  feet  5  inches  wide,  7  feet  2 
inches  high  and  8  inches  thick,  is  covered  with 
hieroglyphic  writing  across  the  top,  and  human 
figures,  each  with  a  crown. 

On  the  summit  are  remains  of  stone  build- 
ings, and  all  over  the  slopes  are  lying  stones 
marvellously  cut  and  engraved.  Beneath  the 

107 


lit n Dies  of 

fortress  were  great  treasure  vaults,  from  which 
were  subterranean  passageways  led  to  Cuzco, 
400  miles  away.  So  much  for  tradition,  but  as 
yet  excavations  have  revealed  no  passageways. 
Southeast  of  the  Fortress,  600  feet  distant,  is  a 
long  wall,  the  foundations  of  the  Hall  of  Justice. 
It  was  a  rectangular  structure,  420  feet  long,  370 
feet  wide  and  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  cut  stone. 
The  interior  depression  or  court  was  on  the  level 
with  the  ground. 

Eastward  from  the  Hall  of  Justice  is  a  raised 
platform,  175  feet  square,  8  to  10  feet  high,  in 
the  center  of  which  was  a  building  of  stone,  con- 
taining a  flat  rock  13  feet  4  inches  square  and 
20  inches  thick,  with  a  square  depression  cut 
into  it,  7  feet  3  inches  long,  5  inches  wide  and  6 
inches  deep.  Near  one  side  was  a  sort  of  sunken 
portico  20  inches  wide,  3  feet  9  inches  long,  with 
an  entrance  22  inches  wide. 

The  walls  on  the  north  side  of  the  Fortress  are 
built  in  terraces,  in  parallel  lines.  The  first  or 
outer  wall  is  27  feet  high ;  the  second,  30  feet  be- 
hind it,  is  18  feet  high;  the  third,  18  feet  back 
from  the  second  terrace,  is  14  feet  high.  The 
walls  are  built  of  blue  limestone  cut  and  fitted 
together.  From  points  behind  the  walls  parallel, 
missiles  may  be  hurled  below  the  outer  wall. 
Each  wall  originally  rose  6  feet  higher  than  the 
terrace  it  supported. 

The  Peruvians  renewed  all  their  fires  each 
year  from  fire  kindled  by  concave  mirrors  in  the 

108 


Cfmes 

Temple  of  the  Sun.  The  ancient  Romans  had 
the  same  custom. 

The  Nahua  Calendar  was  remarkably  like  the 
Chaldean.  The  Peruvians  and  Egyptians  and 
Chaldeans  divided  the  year  into  12  months  and 
inserted  days  to  give  the  year  365  days. 

Some  20  miles  from  Cuzco  there  are  situated 
the  quarries,  from  which  was  taken  the  stone 
used  in  the  ancient  structures.  In  the  valley  of 
Audarvillas  is  the  Pass  of  Piquallacta,  between 
mountains.  The  pass  is  2,000  feet  wide  and  has 
been  fortified  by  wall  of  stone  30  feet  high, 
with  two  gateways  of  stones  so  accurately  cut 
and  laid,  without  mortar,  that  a  knife  may  not 
be  inserted  between  them.  A  graded  wall  leads 
to  the  ruins  of  Mayna,  beyond  which  is  Rimac 
and  the  Cirachausha,  a  place  of  gold,  containing 
the  gorgeous  temple  of  the  sun  and  the  chapels 
of  the  moon,  the  stars,  thunder  and  lightning. 
The  water  course  was  walled  in  by  stone  bridged 
walls. 

There  are  also  some  Cronlechs  of  especial  in- 
terest, in  that  they  are  similar  to  those  of  North- 
ern Europe  and  the  British  Islands,  the  sun  or 
Druidical  palaces.  In  the  Plaza  of  Rimac  are 
the  ruins  of  an  ancient  wall  covered  with  carved 
serpents. 

The  ruins  of  Tiahianaca,  12  miles  south  of 
Lake  Titicaca,  contain  the  remains  of  several 
very  large  quadrilateral  buildings  with  mono- 
lithic doorways  and  broken  statues  made  of  hard 
sandstone  or  trachyte  in  immense  blocks,  which 

109 


RiDDIe0  of 

have  been  transported  25  miles  by  water  and  IS 
by  land.  The  blocks  were  cut  and  fitted  to- 
gether with  great  skill,  and  some  of  them  elabo- 
rately sculptured. 

The  most  ancient  of  the  many  sun  temples  was 
on  an  island  in  Lake  Titicaca;  the  most  re- 
nowned was  at  Cuzco,  called  the  place  of  gold. 
It  consisted  of  a  principal  building  and  several 
chapels  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  closed  in  by  a 
wall  which,  like  all  the  buildings,  were  of  stone. 
The  interior  was  a  mine  of  gold.  On  the  west- 
ern wall  was  a  representative  of  the  Sun  God,  a 
human  face  surrounded  with  rays  in  every  direc- 
tion. The  rays  of  the  rising  sun  fell  upon  this 
face,  illuminating  with  the  reflected  light  the 
whole  interior  of  the  building.  The  figure  was 
made  of  massive  gold  thickly  studded  over  with 
precious  stones.  Gold  was  thought  to  be  tears  of 
the  sun,  and  every  part  of  the  temple  glowed 
with  the  precious  metal.  The  cornices  on  the 
walls  were  made  of  gold,  and  a  broad  frieze  of 
gold  was  let  into  the  stone  work  of  the  exterior. 

One  of  the  other  buildings  was  dedicated  to 
the  moon,  whose  likeness  beaten  on  a  huge  plate 
of  silver  nearly  covered  one  wall.  One  chapel 
was  dedicated  to  the  stars ;  another  to  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Sun's  vengeance,  Thunder  of  Light- 
ning; another  to  the  Rainbow,  whose  many  col- 
ored arch  spanned  the  temple.  All  the  utensils 
in  the  temples  were  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  attendants  in  the  temples  were  very  nu- 
merous, and  at  the  head  was  the  Villac  Viner, 

no 


THE  INCA  FEAST  OF  THE  RAYMI. 

(Riddles  of  Prehistoric  Times — p.  i id] 


Cime0 

the  high  priest.  He  was  second  in  dignity  to  the 
Incas  and  appointed  by  the  monarch.  Those 
who  officiated  in  the  temple  of  the  sun  at  Cuzco 
were  exclusively  of  the  family  of  the  Incas. 

Each  month  had  its  festivals  and  ceremonies, 
the  most  important  of  which  was  the  feast  of 
Raymi,  held  at  the  summer  solstice  when  the 
sun,  having  attained  the  southern  extremity  of 
his  course,  turned  back  to  gladden  the  hearts  of 
the  people.  For  three  days  previous  there  was  a 
general  feast;  no  fire  must  be  lighted  in  the 
dwellings.  On  festive  days  the  Inca  and  his 
court  assembled,  at  early  dawn,  in  the  great 
square  to  greet  the  sun.  The  whole  population 
followed,  dressed  in  their  gayest  apparel.  The 
nobles  displayed  their  most  precious  jewels  and 
ornaments,  walked  under  gorgeous  feathered 
canopies,  borne  by  their  attendants. 

As  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  appeared  there 
arose  a  glad  shout  and  songs  and  melody  from 
musical  instruments,  which  became  louder  and 
more  triumphant  as  the  sun  mounted  higher  and 
higher.  As  soon  as  the  sun  shone  out  in  all  its 
glory  a  libation  was  partaken  by  the  Incas  and 
his  nobles.  After  this  the  vast  assembly  formed 
in  procession,  in  order  of  rank,  and  took  its  way 
to  the  temple.  As  they  entered  the  streets  of  the 
sacred  edifice  all  divested  themselves  of  their 
sandals,  except  the  Inca  and  his  family,  who  did 
so  on  passing  through  the  portals  of  the  temple. 
After  the  devotions  the  Inca  with  his  court  offi- 
cials appeared,  and  preparations  for  the  sacri- 

iii 


UiDDle0  of 

fice  were  begun.  The  offerings  were  usually  of 
grain,  flowers,  perfumes,  or  animals,  though 
sometimes  human  beings,  a  child  or  beautiful 
maiden  were  selected  as  the  victim.  This  last, 
however,  was  the  occasion  of  a  coronation,  the 
birth  of  a  royal  heir  or  to  celebrate  a  great  vic- 
tory, and  never  partook  of  cannibalism.  At  the 
feast  of  the  Raymi  the  llama  was  usually  of- 
fered, and  the  priest,  after  opening  the  body  of 
the  victim,  sought  to  read  therefrom  the  mys- 
terious future.  A  fire  was  then  kindled  by  con- 
cave mirrors,  the  collected  rays  setting  fire  to 
some  dried  cotton.  When  the  sun  was  obscured 
by  clouds,  the  fire  was  made  by  friction.  The 
sacred  flame  was  then  given  in  charge  to  the 
Virgins  of  the  Sun.  A  burnt  offering  was  made 
to  the  deity,  after  which  a  large  number  of 
llamas  were  slaughtered  for  the  feast  of  the 
whole  concourse  of  people.  Bread  from  maize 
flour  had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion  by  the 
Virgins  of  the  Temple.  The  Inca  presided  over 
the  feast,  and  pledged  his  nobles  with  the  fer- 
mented liquor  of  the  land.  And  then  there  was 
reveling  and  music  and  dancing,  which  continued 
many  days. 

Precisely  the  same  custom,  without  the  human 
sacrifice,  was  observed  throughout  Asia  Minor, 
Persia  and  India,  wherever  sun  worship  pre- 
vailed. 

The  same  belief  in  ghosts  prevailed  in  both  the 
old  and  new  world.  It  was  believed  that  the  soul 
of  the  dead  passed  to  heaven  across  a  stream  of 

112 


Cimes 

water  in  which  many  souls  were  lost.  The 
Zunis  set  apart  one  day  of  each  year  to  spend 
among  the  graves  of  their  dead.  Their  god, 
Haitziloperhtle,  was  said  to  have  been  a  famous 
necromancer,  capable  of  changing  himself  into 
animal  shapes.  He  was  thought  to  have  been 
a  humming  bird,  whose  feathers  adorn  his  stat- 
ues. His  sacraments  consisted  of  paste  idols  of 
him  eaten  by  the  communicants  at  the  Winter 
Solstice.  He  was  said  to  have  led  the  Aztecs  to 
Mexico. 

In  both  continents  tree  worship  was  practiced. 
In  Mexico  and  Central  America,  sacred  cy- 
presses and  palms  were  planted  in  groups  of 
three,  tended  with  care  and  given  offerings  of 
incense  and  other  gifts.  The  same  custom  pre- 
vailed among  the  ancient  Romans,  the  cypress 
being  dedicated  to  Pluto  and  the  palm  to  vic- 
tory. 

An  offering  of  cakes  was  made  at  the  baptism 
of  a  child  among  the  Babylonians,  as  among  the 
Mexicans.  In  Peru  and  Babylon  marriages  were 
made  but  once  a  year,  at  a  public  festival. 
Among  the  American  Indians,  the  husband  cap- 
tured his  wife  by  force,  as  the  men  of  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin  carried  off  the  daughters  of  Shiloh 
at  a  feast,  and  the  Romans  captured  the  Sabine 
women. 

At  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest  there 
were  5,000  priests  in  the  temples  of  Mexico. 
They  confessed  and  absolved  sinners.  There 
were  convents  for  female  devotees;  there  were 


RfODlC*  Of 

Monks  in  cloisters.  The  priests  wore  long,  white 
robes. 

The  Peruvians  believed  in  the  continued  exist- 
ence of  individuals  after  death  and  that  there 
would  be  a  resurrection  of  the  body.  They  as- 
signed two  places,  one  for  the  good  in  which  they 
would  pass  luxurious  lives  in  tranquility  and 
ease,  but  the  bad  were  consigned  to  the  center  of 
the  earth,  there  to  expiate  their  crimes  by 
wearisome  labor.  They  believed  in  an  evil  spirit, 
Capay.  Belief  in  the  resurrection  led  them  to 
preserve  the  bodies  of  the  dead  with  care.  They 
let  the  body  dry  in  the  rarified  air. 

They  believed  that  there  would  be  the  same 
occupation  followed  in  the  next  world;  they 
therefore  buried  with  the  dead  his  apparel  and 
utensils,  often  his  treasures,  and  sacrificed  his 
wives  and  servants  to  do  him  service  in  the  next 
world.  Vast  mounds  were  erected  over  the  re- 
mains of  the  nobles  with  galleries  at  right  angles 
to  each  other.  They  dried  the  bodies  of  the 
dead,  sometimes  erect,  sometimes  in  a  sitting  po- 
sition. Treasures  have  been  found  frequently 
in  such  mounds. 

The  Jews  and  ancient  Mexicans  both  wor- 
shiped toward  the  east;  both  called  the  south 
the  right  hand  of  the  world ;  both  burned  incense 
toward  the  four  corners  of  the  earth.  Sacrifice 
as  an  atonement  were  common  to  both;  incan- 
tation for  those  possessed  of  an  Jevil  (spirit 
was  practiced,  and  with  both  the  priests  eat  the 
flesh  of  the  sacrifices.  Both  were  punctilious 

114 


about  washing  and  ablutions.  Both  had  an  ark, 
an  abiding  place  for  the  gods,  and  both  had  a 
species  of  serpent  worship.  The  Jewish  custom 
of  laying  sins  of  the  people  on  the  head  of  an 
animal  and  turning  it  into  the  wilderness  had  its 
counterpart  among  the  Aztecs. 

The  scalping  of  enemies  was  referred  to 
Psalms  LXVIII,  21,  and  the  American  Indians 
scalped  their  enemies ;  Herodotus  described 
scalping  by  the  ancient  Scythians.  Circumcision 
with  a  stone  knife  was  practiced  in  Mexico  as 
among  the  ancient  Hebrews. 


of 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BUILDED   ON   A   ROCK. 

The  oldest  ruins  in  Greece  are  several  ancient 
citadels  and  the  walls  of  Tirynth,  the  immense 
stones  used  in  the  construction  of  which  puzzled 
the  Greeks.  They  were  believed  to  be  the  work 
of  a  race  of  giants,  the  Cyclops,  and  the  work 
was  called  Cyclopean.  They  are  now  ascribed 
to  the  Pelasgians,  who  preceded  the  Greeks  in 
the  occupancy  of  the  land. 

The  evidence  furnished  by  philology  seems  to 
indicate  that  the  Pelasgians  were  Aryans.  They 
lived  in  houses  and  constructed  stone  buildings. 
They  wore  clothes  fashioned  of  skins  and  cloth 
made  from  wool.  They  had  the  sword  and  the 
bow.  They  had  flocks  and  herds,  goats,  dogs 
and  horses.  They  had  gold,  silver  and  copper. 
They  reckoned  time  by  the  lunar  month,  and  re- 
garded the  sky  as  the  heaven  father. 

To  the  Pelasgians  have  been  assigned  the  an- 
cient ruins  made  of  large  and  massive  stones  in 
Greece,  Asia  Minor,  Arabia,  Chaldea  and  India. 

The  most  Cyclopean  wall  is  at  Tiryna  near 
Myocene.  It  is  built  of  huge  stones  piled  to- 
gether without  mortar.  There  are  also  walls  of 

116 


Cfmes 

stone  of  various  sizes  fitted  together  with  nicety, 
but  not  laid  in  courses ;  specimens  of  this  kind 
of  wall  are  found  at  lulius  and  at  Delphi.  Then 
there  are  walls  of  blocks  of  stone  laid  in  regular 
courses.  At  Mycenae  there  are  two  subterran- 
ean chambers  built  in  this  way,  one  much  larger 
than  the  other;  the  outer  and  larger  one  is  cir- 
cular and  arched  over. 

Many  of  the  caverns  in  the  mounds  of  Eng- 
land, Scotland,  Norway,  and  the  Orkney  Is- 
lands are  arched  over  in  the  same  manner. 

The  great  pyramid  in  Egypt,  at  Ghizeh,  near 
Cairo,  is  the  most  gigantic  structure  in  the 
world.  The  builders  had  reached  a  proficiency 
in  mechanical  construction.  They  were  able  to 
quarry  immense  blocks,  even  of  granite,  the 
hardest  stone,  and  to  carry  them  long  distances 
and  set  them  in  place  in  an  extraordinary  man- 
ner; some  of  these  immense  stones  are  30  feet 
long. 

The  base  of  the  pyramid  was  768  feet,  and  the 
height  480  feet.  The  pyramid  covers  13  acres 
of  space,  its  sides  facing  the  cardinal  points.  It 
is  entered  from  the  north  by  descending  a 
passage  3  feet  5  inches  wide,  3  feet  n  inches 
high,  which  leads  to  a  few  cells,  the  largest  of 
which  is  17  feet  7  inches  wide.  The  pyramid  is 
a  solid  mass  of  stone  built  in  regular  course, 
varying  from  2  to  5  feet  in  thickness,  each 
course  receding  back  from  the  one  below  it. 
The  top  has  a  space  of  about  10  feet  square. 
There  are  about  100  pyramids  in  the  valley  of 


Hi D Dies  of 

the  Nile.  The  Sphinx  has  the  head  of  a  man 
and  the  body  of  a  lion;  the  height  from  the 
floor  to  the  top  of  the  head  being  100  feet ;  the 
length  is  140  feet,  and  the  breadth  across  the 
shoulders  is  34  feet.  It  is  cut  out  of  solid  rock. 

Specimens  of  Cyclopean  Architecture  are 
found  in  the  walls  of  Tiryns.  They  are  irregu- 
lar stones  6  to  9  feet  long,  3  to  4  feet  wide,  and 
2  to  3  feet  deep.  No  mortar  was  used;  the  in- 
terstices were  rilled  with  spawls  or  small  frag- 
ments of  stone.  The  walls  of  Mycenea  and  of 
Epirus  are  more  advanced.  Here  the  blocks  are 
fitted  together,  showing  but  small  joints.  They 
are  ascribed  to  the  Pelasgi.  This  style  of  build- 
ing is  found  in  Greece,  Italy,  Asia  Minor,  in 
Persepolis  and  in  several  places  in  Western  Eu- 
rope. The  walls  of  Cuzco  and  ruins  of  a  house 
on  an  island  in  Lake  Titicaca,  in  Peru,  are  of 
the  same  Cyclopean  character.  Works  of  simi- 
lar character  are  found  in  Ireland,  Scotland  and 
in  England. 

Athens,  the  principal  city  of  ancient  Attica, 
was  built  around  a  central  rocky  point  called  the 
Acropolis,  about  1,000  feet  from  east  to  west, 
and  400  feet  wide,  900  feet  above  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  600  feet  above  the  general  level  of 
the  town.  First  it  was  a  stronghold  with  a  fort 
on  top ;  the  natural  elevation  was  supplemented 
by  walls  200  feet  high,  said  to  have  been  first 
built  by  the  Pelasgians  or  Cyclops.  It  consisted 
of  three  parts,  the  Acropolis,  called  Polis;  the 
Asty  or  upper  town,  and  the  port  towns,  Pireaus, 

1x8 


THE  WORLD-RENOWNED  EGYPTIAN  SPHINX,  A. FIGURE 
100  FEET  HIGH,  CUT  FROM  THE  SOLID  ROCK  AND 
REPRESENTING  THE  GOD  ARMACHIS. 

{Riddles  of  Prehistoric   Times,— p.  ilS) 


Cimes 

Muychia  and  Phalerium.  The  Asty  was  sur- 
rounded by  immense  walls ;  three  similar  walls 
existed,  two  long  walls,  and  the  Phaleric  walls 
connecting  Asty  with  the  port  towns. 

The  ancient  city  of  Ephesus  has  a  splendid 
ruin  2^  miles  in  extent. 

The  temple  of  Diana,  the  ruins  of  which,  in 
1871,  were  discovered  after  eight  years  of  labor 
20  feet  beneath  the  surface,  under  the  Mosque 
of  Ayasulek,  was  a  building  four  times  as  large 
as  the  Parthenon.  The  ruins  of  richly  fluted 
columns  were  abundant.  It  was  one  of  the  seven 
wonders  of  the  world  in  ancient  times.  Some 
of  the  fragments  are  now  in  the  Berlin  Mu- 
seum. 

Ephesus  anciently  had  two  splendid  harbors, 
which  have  since  become  silted  up.  West  of 
these  ruins  are  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  city  of 
Pauionum.  Facing  this  is  the  Island  of  Samos, 
which  contained  the  venerated  sanctuary  of  Hera 
under  the  hill  of  the  Acropolis  near  Khora.  Re- 
cently the  subterranean  gallery,  4,000  feet  long 
cut  into  the  solid  rock,  which  supplied  an  aque- 
duct for  the  water  for  use  of  the  ancient  people 
of  Samos  Island,  was  discovered. 

The  Acropolis  at  Mycenae  is  a  triangular 
structure  surrounded  by  a  massive  wall  of  huge 
stones.  The  gate  of  Lions  is  10  feet  wide  and 
10  feet  high,  tapering  toward  the  top  and  cov- 
ered by  a  huge  lintel.  Inside  the  gate  is  a  dou- 
ble circle  of  upright  stones  80  feet  in  diameter. 
In  the  tombs  were  found  the  most  ancient  speci- 

119 


HiDDfCS  Of 

mens  of  Greek  pottery,  the  ornamentation  of 
which  consisted  of  geometric  lines,  foliage,  ma- 
rine and  animal  forms.  The  most  important 
monuments  of  the  lower  town  are  the  beehive 
towers  called  treasure  houses,  the  most  impor- 
tant of  which  is  that  of  Attreus.  The  interior 
is  a  circle  50  feet  in  diameter  with  same  height, 
domed  over,  formed  by  corbelling  the  horizontal 
courses  of  the  wall ;  the  door  opens  into  a  square 
chamber. 

Tiryns  in  Argolis,  Greece,  was  built  on  a  rock ; 
it  is  celebrated  for  its  antiquities,  including  a 
Cyclopean  wall,  gates  and  a  palace.  The  massive 
walls  of  the  citadel,  built  of  great  blocks,  sur- 
rounds the  summit  of  an  oblong  hill. 

The  ruins  of  Martu  Mirth  or  Marathos,  a  city 
of  ancient  Phoenicia,  before  Sidon  or  Arvad,  are 
5  miles  square.  They  are  pyramids  of  surpris- 
ing grandeur,  constructed  of  blocks  of  stone 
from  26  to  28  feet  long,  as  thick  as  the  height 
of  a  tall  man,  and  built  partly  on  the  plain  and 
partly  on  a  chain  of  rocky  hills.  Some  of  the 
structures  were  hewn  out  of  the  rocks.  The  tem- 
ple shows  a  vast  court  156  feet  wide  by  180 
feet  long.  The  Bed j el  Bezziah  was  a  tomb  of 
immense  dimensions ;  it  was  built  of  immense 
stone,  and  was  formerly  crowned  with  a  pyra- 
mid, as  were  all  Cushite  structures.  They  cov- 
ered the  rough  stone  with  stucco  for  the  purpose 
of  ornamentation. 

There  has  been  uncovered,  at  Mugher,  Chal- 
dea,  a  very  ancient  vault  containing  clay  coffins, 

1 20 


Cfme0 

each  formed  of  two  large  jars  placed  mouth  to 
mouth  and  cemented  together  with  bittmen.  The 
vault  was  7  feet  long,  3  feet  7  inches  wide  and 
5  feet  high,  made  of  sun-dried  brick  embedded  in 
mud.  The  arch  is  formed,  like  those  in  Egyp- 
tian and  Scythean  tombs,  by  each  successive  lay- 
ing of  flat  bricks,  overlaying  or  projecting  over 
the  course  beneath  it,  until  the  two  sides  are 
brought  so  near  together  as  to  be  covered  by  a 
single  brick.  Various  articles  of  use  and  orna- 
ment were  interred  with  the  body.  Food  was 
sometimes  placed  in  the  vaults,  together  with 
jars  and  drinking  vessels. 

The  temple  at  Mughen  has  been  accurately  ex- 
amined. On  a  mound,  20  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  plain,  stands  a  rectangular  edifice  two  stories 
high.  The  building  is  198  feet  long,  and  133 
feet  wide ;  the  basement  story  was  40  feet  high. 

The  ancient  temple  at  Abu  Shahreih,  Chal- 
dea,  had  two  stories,  with  an  ornamented  cham- 
ber at  the  top.  It  was  built  of  sun-dried  brick, 
faced  with  burnt  brick.  The  artificial  platform 
on  which  the  temple  is  built  is  made  of  beaten 
clay,  enclosed  with  a  massive  wall  of  limestone, 
in  some  places  20  feet  thick.  There  is  a  stair- 
way from  the  platform  to  the  summit  of  the  first 
story  made  with  polished  marble  blocks  22  by  13 
by  4l/2  inches,  the  bed  for  which  was  sun-dried 
brick.  The  stone  was  fastened  with  copper 
bolts.  At  the  foot  of  the  staircase  were  two  col- 
umns, one  on  each  side,  made  with  round  sand- 
stone and  marble  slabs,  in  alternate  layers  until 

121 


BtDDles  of 

the  desired  height  was  attained.  They  were  cov- 
ered over  with  lime  mortar,  in  which  pebbles 
were  mixed,  making  a  complete  covering  for  the 
columns.  The  only  ornamentation  was  on  the 
shrine,  the  abode  of  the  god,  at  the  top  of  the 
temple. 

Agate,  alabaster  and  marble  pieces  with  holes 
for  fastening  them  on  with  copper  bolts  were 
found,  also  many  gold  plates  and  a  number  of 
gold-headed  nails. 

Buildings  of  a  late  date  of  construction,  at 
this  place,  have  some  arched  openings  of  brick, 
angling  to  make  the  arch. 

There  were  no  windows,  the  only  openings 
being  doors;  the  doors  are  placed  toward  the 
sides,  never  in  the  center  of  the  walls,  which 
is  common  to  the  Chaldean  and  Assyrian  build- 
ings. 

The  dead  were  interred  in  clay  coffins;  some- 
times the  dead  were  laid  on  a  mat  similar  to 
what  the  Ards  now  make  and  covered  with  a 
burned  clay  slab,  and  placed  underground,  7  or 
8  feet  at  least.  Sometimes  they  contain  copper 
bowls  and  utensils  for  food  and  drink.  The  jar 
coffins  found  are  circular,  2^2  to  3  feet  deep,  and 
about  2  feet  in  diameter,  one  a  little  larger  than 
the  other  at  the  mouth,  made  so  as  to  slip  them 
together.  They  each  had  air  holes  for  escape  of 
gas. 

In  the  cemeteries  the  coffins  are  arranged  side 
by  side,  often  one  above  the  other  in  several  lay- 
ers; sometimes  there  is  masonry  between  them, 

122 


Cfme« 

covered  by  an  artificial  mound ;  some  mounds  are 
paved  with  brick.  The  oldest  Chaldean  pottery 
are  round  vases  without  handles,  some  with  a 
flaring  top,  others  plainly  moulded  by  hand. 
Some  rude  pottery  was  found  representing  men 
and  animals.  The  cylinder  signet  of  King  Urkh 
had  a  king  on  a  throne  with  a  new  moon  above 
him  and  three  figures,  two  men  and  a  woman, 
approaching  him,  the  woman  being  led  as  if  a 
prisoner. 

The  Cyclopean  ruins  of  the  treasure  house  at 
Mycenae  in  Greece  had  arched  doorways  made 
by  projecting  each  stone  over  the  one  beneath  it 
until  an  apex  was  reached,  making  an  arch.  In 
the  Cyclopean  ruins  in  Central  America  and 
Peru,  the  same  plan  was  practiced. 

At  Cuslap,  in  Northern  Peru,  there  is  a  ruin 
of  a  wall  of  huge  cut  stone,  3,600  feet  long  and 
150  feet  high.  In  it  were  rooms  which  had  been 
used  for  tombs. 

Ancient  ruins  of  large  stones  were  found  at 
Heramanga,  in  Peru,  the  native  tradition  being 
that  they  had  been  built  by  white-bearded  men 
a  long  time  ago. 

The  Cyclopean  walls  in  Greece  were  laid  in 
broken  ashlar,  irregular  courses  of  immense  cut 
stone.  The  huge  walls  in  Peru  were  laid  in  the 
identical  fashion. 

Dr.  Schlieman  made  very  extensive  excava- 
tions at  the  site  of  ancient  Troy,  uncovering 
seven  different  cities,  one  built  on  the  ruins  of 
another;  the  last  the  only  one  being  at  all  near 

123 


of 

the  historic  period,  was  six  feet  underground. 
Far  down  beneath  the  surface  he  uncovered  a 
wall  of  the  second  period  built  of  large  blocks  of 
stone.  Bleeding  a  patient  thought  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  an  evil  spirit  was  practiced. 

Jerusalem,  commanding  the  water  parting,  be- 
tween the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean,  was 
originally  built  by  the  Arabs,  Jebusites.  It  was 
called  El  Kods,  the  holy  city.  It  was  on  the  top 
of  a  high  hill  2,650  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  The  hill  sloped  gently  toward  the  south- 
west; on  three  sides  were  deep  ravines,  and  on 
the  east  side  was  the  Valley  of  Fire.  The  an- 
cient caves  of  Siloam  are  in  this  valley.  West 
and  south  flows  the  torrent  of  Hemorona  or 
Gerehmia,  so  called  from  the  chasm  into  which 
the  waters  fall.  On  the  top  was  the  famous  rock 
of  Sakhra,  upon  which  the  ancient  priests  were 
wont  to  immolate  the  victims  for  sacrifice,  the 
blood  flowing  through  underground  passage  to 
the  brook  of  Kedron.  Mosques  and  divers  mon- 
uments now  occupy  the  crest  of  this  ancient  hill. 
Recently  excavations  brought  to  light  a  great 
many  ruins,  notably  the  underground  passage. 
In  some  places  the  old  foundations  of  structures 
were  found  100  feet  and  even  125  feet  below  the 
surface.  Between  the  gates  of  Bethlehem  and 
Damascus  a  temple  of  Venus  stood  formerly. 

Solomon,  King  of  Jerusalem,  when  he  deter- 
mined to  build  a  temple  to  the  Lord,  sent  to 
Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  for  material  and  for 
skilled  workmen  like  the  Sidonians.  Hiram  gave 

124 


Cimes 

Solomon  cedar  trees  from  Lebanon  and  fir  trees 
for  the  temple.  The  building  was  60  cubits 
long,  20  cubits  wide  and  30  cubits  high.  The 
porch  before  the  temple  was  20  cubits  long  and 
2  cubits  wide ;  and  against  the  walls  of  the  tem- 
ple round  about  were  built  chambers. 

The  temple  was  built  of  stone  made  ready  be- 
fore they  were  brought  to  the  building,  so  that 
there  was  no  tool  to  be  heard  in  the  building  of 
the  temple.  It  was  covered  with  beams  and 
boards  of  cedar.  The  chambers  were  built  five 
cubits  high  with  cedar.  The  floor  was  of  panels 
of  fir.  The  temple  was  forty  cubits  long  within. 
The  cedar  of  the  building  was  carved  with  knobs 
and  flowers,  covering  entirely  the  stone  work.  In 
the  oracle  there  was  prepared  a  place  for  the  Ark 
of  the  covenant  overlaid  with  gold,  and  the  altar 
was  covered  with  gold.  Within  the  oracle  were 
placed  two  cherubims  of  olive  wood  15  feet  high. 

The  cherubims  were  overlaid  with  gold.  There 
was  lily  work  in  the  wood  work  of  the  porches 
and  pomegranates  carved  thereon.  The  founda- 
tion was  built  of  great  stones,  some  ten  cubits 
and  some  with  eight  cubits;  and  the  court 
around  about  was  three  rows  of  hewn  stones, 
both  for  the  inner  court  of  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
and  for  the  porch  of  the  house. 


125 


of 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LEMURIA. 

In  very  early  days,  near  the  beginning  of  the 
life  of  man  or  earth,  there  was  a  land  south  of 
India  embracing  Ceylon  and  extending  westward 
across  the  continent  of  Africa,  was  the  Island  of 
Lemuria.  The  inhabitants  of  this  island  were 
short,  dark  men  of  the  Iberian  race,  like  the 
Bushmen  of  South  Africa.  They  it  was  who 
were  the  first  and  original  inhabitants  of 
northern  Africa,  southern  and  western  Europe, 
and  southern  Asia,  until  they  were  supplanted 
by  a  fair,  larger  and  more  powerful  race.  Part 
of  this  island  sank  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  leaving 
Mallacca,  Ceylon,  Bornea,  and  the  part  across 
the  continent  of  Africa  still  above  the  sea. 

It  is  supposed  by  many  that  the  human  race 
began  and  spread  to  all  parts  of  Asia,  Africa 
and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  this 
Island  of  Lemuria.  The  dark  colored  races  of 
men  probably  emanated  from  Lemuria.  They 
were  a  superstitious  people.  It  was  here  the  idea 
of  Devils  arose,  sacrifices  to  propitiate  them  be- 
ing common. 

Side  by  side  with  the  Hottentots   in   South 

126 


{Riddles  of  Prehistoric   Times.— p.  126) 


Ctme0 

Africa  live  a  remarkable  little  people  known  as 
Bushmen,  akin  in  race  and  speech  to  the 
dwarfish  races  found  in  Central  Africa.  They 
are  lighter  in  color,  being  a  dirty  yellow.  So 
small  are  they  that  the  ordinary  adult  is  not 
larger  than  an  European  child  of  eleven  years. 
They  have  tiny  weazened  faces,  the  wool  on  their 
heads  growing  in  small  tufts,  with  naked  spaces 
between. 

In  many  respects  they  seem  to  be  a  link  be- 
tween humanity  and  brutes.  They  have  a 
language  so  elemental  that  it  is  difficult  to  ex- 
press the  simplest  ideas.  They  have  no  word 
for  wife  or  marriage,  and  their  minds  appear  to 
be  in  the  same  condition  as  their  language.  They 
possess,  however,  a  very  curious  imitative  skill. 
They  live  under  the  shelving  rocks,  in  caves. 
They  make  rude  pictures  of  men  and  animals. 
They  are  probably  descendants  of  and  are  like 
the  original  inhabitants  of  Lemuria. 

All  the  ancient  prehistoric  civilizations  were 
akin,  and  drew  their  inspirations  and  ideas  from 
a  common  fountain.  In  very  ancient  times  Le- 
muria furnished  the  peoples  which  populated 
Southern  Asia,  all  of  Africa,  Southern  and 
Western  Europe  and  that  these  inhabitants  were 
superseded  by  a  more  cultured  people,  who  had 
been  a  long  while  in  attaining  a  culture,  in  per- 
fecting their  architecture,  their  arts,  and  their 
religion.  That  religion  was  that  of  the  sun  wor- 
shipers, embracing  Phallic  worship  and  a  ven- 
eration of  the  Serpent  as  the  embodiment  of 

127 


HiDDies  of 

wisdom.  The  seat  of  this  culture  was  probably 
the  Island  of  Atlantis,  where  a  very  high  degree 
of  culture  had  been  attained.  The  rulers  of  this 
island  became  the  gods  of  all  the  said  ancient 
peoples. 

The  Maous  of  New  Zealand  and  Polynesian 
people  in  general  have  traditional  hymns,  which 
give  an  account  of  creation  becoming  out  of 
nothing,  out  of  which  came  the  world  and  the 
gods,  Rangi  and  Popa,  who  in  turn  begat  gods 
in  vegetable  and  animal  form  and  made  some  of 
clay.  Some  of  the  gods  were  in  the  form  of 
fishes  and  lizards.  Some  lived  in  water  and 
some  on  land.  Mani  was  the  great  hero  of  the 
supernatural  race  among  them.  He  placed  the 
sun  and  moon  in  their  proper  place.  He  in- 
duced the  sun  to  move  in  his  course  by  beating  it. 
He  slew  monsters ;  he  invented  fish  hooks,  and 
was  the  inventor  of  fire.  He  was  a  great  sor- 
cerer and  magician.  He  attempted  to  pass 
through  the  body  of  Night,  but  Night  was 
awakened  by  a  bird  and  devoured  Mani,  hence 
men  die.  The  Sun  performed  the  feat  Mani  at- 
tempted, and  passed  through  Night  unharmed. 

The  Zulus  worshiped  ancestors  who  appear  to 
men  in  the  form  of  serpents.  They  regarded  a 
being  called  Unkulmukulu  as  their  first  ancestor 
or  the  maker  of  men.  They  are  absorbed  in 
propitiating  their  dead  ancestors,  and  have 
legends  which  resemble  the  myths  of  Greece, 
and  the  legends  of  European  people. 

The  people  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Islands, 

128 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

New  Hebrides  and  Banks  Islands  were  also  an- 
cestor worshipers;  they  worship  a  being  Iqat;  a 
prehuman  being  endowed  with  supernatural 
powers.  He  mysteriously  disappeared ;  when  the 
white  men  appeared,  the  people  thought  Iqat 
had  returned. 

The  Ahts  of  Vancouver  Island  believed  that 
Quawteaht  was  the  divine  being,  the  first  creator 
of  men.  He  married  Tootah,  a  thunder  bird, 
and  became  the  progenator  of  the  Indians.  As 
a  deity  he  is  inferior  only  to  the  sun  and  moon. 
He  taught  men  the  use  of  fire. 

The  Thinklets  regarded  Yehl  as  their  god.  In 
his  youth  he  shot  a  supernatural  crane,  and  he 
could  thereafter  always  fly  about  with  the  feath- 
ers. His  great  rival  was  Khanukh,  the  ancestor 
of  the  wolf  race.  Yehl  taught  men  to  use  fire. 
He  had  the  power  of  assuming  different  forms 
and  of  flying  in  the  air  like  other  sorcerers. 
Among  the  Cahroc  and  Novagoes,  Ceyloi  is  the 
fire  stealer  and  the  supernatural  creative  being. 
Among  the  Tiuneks  a  miraculous  dog  is  the  chief 
divine,  who  has  the  power  to  transform  himself 
into  a  man. 

On  Easter  Island,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  2,000 
miles  from  South  America,  were  found  hundreds 
of  gigantic  stone  images  standing  upright,  some 
30  to  40  feet  high  and  some  higher.  The 
crowns  on  their  heads  were  cut  out  of  red  sand- 
stone and  are  10  feet  in  diameter,  the  head  and 
neck  being  20  feet  high.  It  must  have  taken  a 
large  amount  of  labor  to  have  erected  them. 

129 


UiDDles  of 

There  have  recently  been  found  upon  some  of 
the  structures  on  this  island  hieroglyphic  writ- 
ings as  if  the  ancient  Malayan  civilization  who 
erected  the  statues  had  attained  a  high  degree  of 
culture  and  learned  to  write. 


130 


prehistoric  Cimes 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BEFORE    THE    FLOOD. 

When  primitive  men  in  their  migrations  en- 
countered a  wide  river  or  a  sea,  it  seemed  to  cir- 
cumscribe and  limit  their  further  progress. 
Necessity  being  the  mother  of  invention  led  them 
to  construct  floats  and  rafts  of  light  material, 
developing  in  time  into  hollow  boats,  which  en- 
abled them  to  extend  their  migrations ;  what 
seemed  an  unsurmountable  barrier  developed 
into  an  easy  means  of  transportation.  It  is  ever 
thus.  Obstacles  frequently  are  blessings  in  dis- 
guise. The  evidences  of  the  peopling  of  the  lands 
adjoining  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  China,  India, 
the  Indian  Ocean  on  all  sides,  the  British  Isles, 
North,  Central  and  South  America,  show  the 
original  settlements  were  made  by  men  who  used 
boats.  Their  architectural  remains  show  that 
each  and  all  were  the  same  people,  bearing  with 
them  the  same  ideas  from  their  original  home. 
The  unsolved  problem,  is  where  was  that  home ; 
an  examination  of  the  map  of  the  world  will 
show  that  all  must  have  radiated  from  a  com- 
mon center,  which  evidently  was  somewhere  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  from  which  they  went  in  all 
directions. 


of 

Plato,  a  descendant  of  Solon,  described  the  in- 
terview between  Solon  and  the  Priests  of  Sais 
in  Egypt.  When  Solon  began  to  talk  of  the  tra- 
ditions of  Greece,  one  of  the  priests  said :  "You 
Greeks  are  mere  children,  talkative  and  vain. 
You  know  nothing  at  all  of  the  past.  Being 
destitute  of  letters/'  continued  the  priest,  "you 
forget  all  and  have  to  begin  over  again  as  chil- 
dren, and  know  nothing  of  what  happened  in 
ancient  times.  As  for  the  things  you  have  been 
recounting,  they  are  like  children's  tales.  You 
remember  one  deluge  only;  there  have  been 
many.  Many  thousands  of  years  ago  your  citi- 
zens were  the  noblest  in  their  actions,  the  great- 
est exceeding  all  the  rest.  There  was  a  mighty 
power  which  was  wantonly  aggressing  against 
the  whole  of  Europe  and  Asia,  to  which  aggres- 
sion your  people  put  an  end.  This  power  came 
out  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  from  an  island  in 
front  of  the  straits  of  Heracles."  This  island 
was  larger  than  Libya  and  Asia  together,  and 
was  the  way  to  other  islands. 

On  this  island  was  a  great  and  wonderful  em- 
pire which  ruled  over  the  islands  of  the  conti- 
nent. They  subjected  parts  of  Libya  as  far  as 
Egypt  and  Europe  as  far  as  Tyrrhenia.  The 
ancient  Greeks  defeated  this  power  and  liberated 
all  other  people  within  the  straits  of  Heracles. 

Afterwards  there  was  an  earthquake  and 
floods,  and  in  a  single  day  and  night  the  island 
of  Atlantis  sunk  beneath  the  sea,  and  that  is  the 
reason  parts  of  the  Atlantic  is  unnavigable  by 

132 


(Riddles  of  Prehistoric   Times.— p. 


prehistoric  Cimes 

reason  of  the  shallow  seas;  9,000  years  Have 
passed  since  that  time. 

Poseidon,  receiving  from  Zeus  the  island  of 
Atlantis  as  his  share,  begat  children  by  a  mortal 
woman,  and  settled  them  in  a  part  of  the  island. 
On  the  side  toward  the  sea,  and  in  the  center 
of  the  whole  island,  there  was  a  plain  which  is 
said  to  have  been  the  fairest  of  all  plains  and 
very  fertile.  Near  the  plain,  in  the  center  of  the 
island,  at  a  distance  of  about  fifty  stadia,  there 
was  a  mountain,  not  very  high  on  any  side.  In 
this  mountain  there  dwelt  one  of  the  earth-born, 
primeval  men  of  that  country,  whose  name  was 
Evenor ;  he  had  a  wife  named  Leucippe,  and  they 
had  an  only  daughter,  who  was  named  Cleito. 
The  maiden  was  growing  up  to  womanhood 
when  her  father  and  mother  died;  Poseidon  fell 
in  love  with  her,  and,  breaking  the  ground,  en- 
closed the  hill  in  which  she  dwelt  with  alternate 
zones  of  sea  and  land,  equidistant  every  way, 
so  that  no  man  could  get  to  the  island. 

He  also  begat  five  pairs  of  male  children.  Di- 
viding the  island  of  Atlantis  into  ten  portions, 
he  gave  to  the  first  born  of  the  eldest  pair  his 
mother's  dwelling  and  the  surrounding  allot- 
ment, and  made  him  king  over  the  rest.  The 
others  he  made  princes,  and  gave  them  rule  over 
many  men  and  a  large  territory.  The  eldest  was 
King  Atlas,  and  from  him  the  whole  island  and 
the  ocean  received  the  name  of  Atlantis.  To  his 
twin  brother,  who  was  born  after  him,  and  ob- 
tained as  his  lot  the  extremity  of  the  island  to- 

133 


RiDBles  of 

•ward  the  Pillars  of  Heracles,  as  far  as  the  coun- 
try which  is  still  called  the  region  of  Gades  in 
that  part  of  the  world,  he  gave  the  name  which 
in  the  Hellenic  language  is  Emelus,  and  in  the 
language  of  the  country  which  is  named  after 
him,  Gadeirus. 

Now  Atlas  had  a  numerous  and  honorable 
family,  and  his  eldest  branch  always  retained 
the  kingdom.  They  had  such  wealth  as  was 
never  before  possessed  by  kings  and  potentates, 
and  is  not  likely  to  be  again.  Orichalcum,  now 
only  a  name,  was  dug  out  of  the  earth  in  many 
parts  of  the  island,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
gold,  was  esteemed  the  most  precious  metal 
among  the  men  of  those  days. 

There  was  an  abundance  of  wood  and  many 
tame  and  wild  animals.  Moreover  there  were  a 
great  number  of  elephants  in  the  island ;  there  was 
a  provision  for  animals  of  every  kind,  both  for 
those  which  live  in  lakes  and  marshes  and  riv- 
ers, and  also  for  those  which  live  in  mountains 
and  on  plains,  and  therefore  for  the  animal 
which  is  the  largest  and  most  voracious  of  them. 
Also,  whatever  fragrant  things  there  are  in  the 
earth,  whether  roots,  herbage,  or  woods,  or  dis- 
tilling drops  of  flowers  or  fruits,  grew  and 
thrived  in  that  land;  the  cultivated  fruit  of  the 
earth,  both  the  dry  edible  fruit  and  other  species 
of  food,  which  we  call  by  the  general  name  of 
legumes;  and  the  fruits  having  a  hard  rind,  af- 
fording drinks,  and  meats,  and  ointments,  and  a 
good  store  of  chestnuts  and  the  like,  which  may 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

be  used  to  play  with,  and  are  fruits  which  spoil 
with  keeping,  and  the  pleasant  kinds  of  dessert 
which  console  us  after  dinner,  when  we  are  full 
and  tired  of  eating — all  these  that  sacred  island 
lying  beneath  the  sun  brought  forth  fair  and 
wondrous  in  infinite  abundance.  All  these  things 
they  received  from  the  earth,  and  they  employed 
themselves  in  constructing  their  temples  and  pal- 
aces, harbors  and  docks.  They  arranged  the 
whole  country  in  the  following  manner:  first 
they  bridged  over  the  Zones  of  sea  which  sur- 
rounded the  ancient  metropolis,  and  made  a 
passage  into  and  out  of  the  royal  palace ;  then 
they  began  to  build  the  palace,  the  habitation  of 
god  and  their  ancestors.  This  they  continued 
to  ornament  in  successive  generations,  every 
king  surpassing  the  one  who  came  before  him  to 
the  utmost  of  his  power,  until  they  made  the 
building  a  marvel  to  behold  for  size  and  beauty. 
And,  beginning  from  the  sea,  they  dug  a  canal 
300  feet  in  width  and  100  feet  in  depth,  and  fifty 
stadia  in  length,  which  they  carried  through  to 
the  utmost  zone,  making  a  passage  from  the  sea 
up  to  this,  which  became  a  harbor,  and  leaving 
an  opening  sufficient  to  enable  the  largest  vessels 
to  find  ingress.  Moreover,  they  divided  the 
zones  of  land  which  parted  the  zones  of  the  sea, 
constructing  bridges  of  such  a  width  as  would 
leave  a  passage  for  a  single  trireme  to  pass  out 
of  one  into  the  other,  and  roofed  them  over; 
and  there  was  a  way  underneath  for  the  ships, 
for  the  banks  of  the  zones  were  raised  consid- 

135 


UiDDIes  of 

erably  above  the  water.  Now  the  largest  of  the 
zones  into  which  a  passage  was  cut  from  the 
sea  was  three  stadia  in  breadth,  and  the  zone  on 
land  which  came  next  was  of  equal  breadth ;  but 
the  next  two  as  well  the  zone  of  water  as  well 
as  the  zone  of  land  were  only  a  stadia  in  width. 

The  island  in  which  the  palace  was  situated 
had  a  diameter  of  five  stadia.  This,  and  the 
zones  and  the  bridge,  which  was  the  sixth  part 
of  a  stadium  in  width,  were  surrounded  by  a 
stone  wall ;  on  either  side  was  placed  towers,  and 
gates  on  the  bridges  where  the  sea  passed  in. 

Some  of  their  buildings  were  simple,  but  in 
others  they  put  together  different  stones,  which 
they  intermingled  for  the  sake  of  ornament  to  be 
a  natural  source  of  delight.  The  entire  circuit  of 
the  wall,  which  went  round  the  outermost  one, 
they  covered  with  a  coating  of  brass,  and  the 
circuit  of  the  next  wall  they  coated  with  tin,  and 
the  third,  which  encompassed  the  citadel,  flashed 
with  the  red  of  orichalcum.  The  palaces  in  the 
interior  of  the  citadel  were  constructed  in  this 
manner.  In  the  center  was  a  holy  temple  dedi- 
cated to  Cleito  and  Poseidon,  which  remained  in- 
accessible, and  was  surrounded  by  an  enclosure 
of  gold.  This  was  the  spot  in  which  they  origi- 
nally begat  the  race  of  the  ten  princes,  and 
thither  they  annually  brought  the  fruits  of  the 
earth  from  all  the  ten  portions,  and  performed 
sacrifices.  Here,  too,  was  Poseidon's  own  tem- 
ple, of  a  stadium  in  length  and  half  a  stadium  in 
width,  and  of  a  proportionate  height.  The  ex- 

136 


prehistoric  Cimca 

terior  of  the  temple,  with  the  exception  of  the 
pinnacles,  was  gold.  In  the  interior  of  the  tem- 
ple the  roof  was  of  ivory,  adorned  everywhere 
with  gold  and  silver  and  orichalcum.  All  the 
other  parts  of  the  walls  and  pillars  and  the  floor 
they  lined  with  orichalcum.  In  the  temple  they 
placed  statues  of  gold.  There  was  the  god  him- 
self standing  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  six  winged 
horses,  and  of  such  a  size  that  he  touched  the 
roof  of  the  building  with  his  head;  around  him 
were  a  hundred  Nereids  riding  on  dolphins,  for 
such  was  thought  to  be  the  number  of  them  in 
that  day.  There  were  also,  in  the  interior  of  the 
temple,  other  images  which  had  been  dedicated 
to  private  individuals.  Around  the  temple,  on 
the  outside,  were  placed  statues  of  gold  of  all  the 
ten  kings  and  of  their  wives;  and  there  were 
many  other  offerings,  both  of  kings  and  private 
individuals,  coming  both  from  the  city  itself  and 
the  foreign  cities  over  which  they  held  sway. 
There  was  an  altar,  too,  which  in  size  and  work- 
manship corresponded  to  the  rest  of  the  work, 
and  there  were  palace0 

In  the  next  place  -w^  fountains  both  of  cold 
and  hot  springs,  very  abundant,  and  wonderfully 
adapted  for  use  by  reason  of  the  sweetness  and 
excellence  of  their  waters.  They  constructed 
buildings  about  them,  which  they  roofed  over, 
to  be  used  in  winter  as  warm  baths.  There  were 
the  king's  baths,  and  the  baths  of  private  per- 
sons, which  were  kept  apart ;  also  separate  baths 
for  women,  and  others  again  for  horses  and  cat- 

137 


BiDfilcs  of 

tie,  and  to  tHem  they  gave  such  adornment  as 
was  suitable  for  them.  The  water  which  ran  off 
they  carried,  some  to  the  grove  of  Posiedon, 
where  were  growing  all  manner  of  trees  of  won- 
derful height  and  beauty,  owing  to  the  excellence 
of  the  soil;  and  the  remainder  was  conveyed  by 
aqueducts  which  passed  over  the  bridges  to  the 
outer  circles.  And  there  were  many  temples 
built  and  dedicated  to  many  gods;  also  gardens 
and  places  of  exercise,  some  for  men,  and  some 
set  apart  for  horses,  in  both  of  the  two  islands 
formed  by  the  zones.  And  in  the  center  of  the 
larger  of  the  two  there  was  a  race  course  of  a 
stadium  in  width,  and  in  length  allowed  to  ex- 
tend all  round  the  island.  Also  there  were 
guard  houses  at  intervals  for  the  bodyguard,  the 
more  trusted  of  whom  had  their  duties  appointed 
to  them  in  the  lesser  zone,  which  was  nearer  the 
Acropolis,  while  the  most  trusted  of  all  had 
houses  given  them  within  the  citadel,  and  about 
the  persons  of  the  kings.  The  docks  were  full 
of  ships  and  naval  stores.  Crossing  the  outer 
harbors,  which  were  three  in  number,  there  was 
a  wall  which  began  at  the  sea  and  went  all 
round;  this  was  everywhere  distant  fifty  stadia 
from  the  largest  zone  and  harbor,  and  enclosed 
the  whole,  meeting  at  the  mouth  of  the  channel 
toward  the  sea.  The  entire  area  was  densely 
crowded  with  habitations;  the  canal  and  the 
largest  harbors  were  full  of  vessels  and  mer- 
chants coming  from  all  parts,  who  from  their 
numbers  kept  up  a  multitudinous  sound  of  hu- 

138 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

man  voices  and  din  night  and  day.  The  whole 
country  was  described  as  being  very  lofty  and 
precipitous  on  the  side  of  the  sea,  but  that  imme- 
diately surrounding  the  city  was  a  level  plain, 
itself  surrounded  by  mountains  which  descended 
toward  the  sea.  It  was  smooth  and  even,  but  of 
an  oblong  shape,  extending  in  one  direction  3,000 
stadia. 

The  surrounding  mountains  were  celebrated 
for  their  number,  size  and  beauty,  in  which  they 
exceeded  all  that  are  now  to  be  seen  anywhere. 

And  of  the  inhabitants  there  was  also  a  vast 
multitude  having  leaders,  to  whom  they  were  as- 
signed according  to  their  dwellings  and  villages. 
The  leader  was  required  to  furnish  the  sixth  por- 
tion of  a  war  chariot,  so  as  to  make  up  the  total 
of  ten  thousand  chariots;  also  two  horses  with 
riders,  and  the  light  chariot  without  a  seat,  ac- 
companied by  a  fighting  man  on  foot  carrying  a 
small  shield,  and  having  a  charioteer  mounted 
to  guide  the  horses;  also  he  was  bound  to  fur- 
nish two  heavy  armed  men,  two  archers,  two 
slingers,  three  stone  shooters  and  three  javelin 
men,  who  were  skirmishers  and  four  sailors  to 
make  up  a  complement  of  twelve  hundred  ships. 
Such  was  the  order  of  war  in  the  royal  city. 
Each  of  the  ten  kings  in  his  own  division  and  in 
his  own  city,  had  the  absolute  control  of  the 
citizens,  and  in  many  cases  of  the  laws,  punish- 
ing and  slaying  whomsoever  he  would. 

Now  the  relations  of  their  governments  to  one 
another  were  regulated  by  the  injunctions  of 

139 


UiDDles  of 

Posiedon  as  the  law  had  handed  them  down. 
These  were  inscribed  by  the  first  men  on  a  col- 
umn of  crichalcum,  which  was  situated  in  the 
middle  of  the  island,  at  the  temple  of  Poseidon, 
whither  the  people  were  gathered  together  every 
fifth  and  sixth  years  alternately,  thus  giving 
equal  honor  to  the  odd  and  to  the  even  number. 
And  when  they  were  gathered  together  they 
consulted  about  public  affairs,  enquired  if  any 
one  had  transgressed,  passed  judgment  and  gave 
their  pledges  to  one  another  in  this  wise;  there 
were  bulls  who  had  the  range  of  the  temple  of 
Poseidon,  and  the  ten  who  were  left  alone  in  the 
temple,  after  they  had  offered  prayers  to  the 
gods  that  they  might  take  the  sacrifices  which 
were  acceptable  to  them,  hunted  the  bulls  with- 
out weapons,  but  with  staves  and  nooses;  and 
the  bull  which  they  caught  they  led  up  to  the 
column.  The  victim  was  then  struck  on  the  head 
and  slain  over  the  sacred  inscription. 

Now  on  the  column,  besides  the  law,  there 
was  inscribed  an  oath  invoking  mighty  curses  on 
the  disobedient.  When,  therefore,  after  offering 
sacrifices  according  to  their  customs,  they  had 
burnt  the  limbs  of  the  bull,  they  mingled  a  cup 
and  cast  in  a  clot  of  blood  for  each  of  them ;  the 
rest  of  the  victim  they  took  to  the  fire,  after  hav- 
ing made  a  purification  of  the  column  all  round. 
Then  they  drew  from  the  cup  in  golden  vessels, 
and,  pouring  a  libration  on  the  fire,  they  swore 
that  they  would  judge  according  to  the  laws  on 
the  column,  and  would  punish  any  one  who  had 

140 


Cime0 

transgressed,  and  that  for  the  future  they  would 
not  transgress,  and  would  not  commend  or  obey 
any  ruler  who  commanded  them  to  act  other- 
wise than  according  to  the  laws.  This  was  the 
prayer  which  each  of  them  offered  up  for  him- 
self and  for  his  family,  at  the  same  time  drink- 
ing and  dedicating  the  vessel  in  the  temple  of 
the  god.  After  spending  some  necessary  time  at 
supper,  when  darkness  came  on  and  the  fire 
about  the  sacrifice  was  cool,  all  of  them  put  on 
most  beautiful  azure  robes,  and,  sitting  on  the 
ground  at  night,  near  the  embers  of  the  sacri- 
fices on  which  they  had  sworn,  and  extinguish- 
ing all  the  fire  about  the  temple,  they  considered 
and  gave  judgment.  If  any  of  them  had  any 
accusation  to  bring  against  any  one,  he  was 
judged,  and,  when  they  had  given  judgment,  at 
daybreak,  they  wrote  down  their  sentences  on  a 
golden  tablet,  and  deposited  them  as  memorials 
with  their  robes.  There  were  many  special  laws 
which  several  kings  had  inscribed  about  the  tem- 
ples, but  the  most  important  were  the  following : 
They  were  not  to  take  up  arms  against  one  an- 
other, and  they  were  all  to  come  to  the  rescue  if 
any  one  in  any  city  attempted  to  overthrow  the 
royal  house.  Like  their  ancestors,  they  were  to 
deliberate  in  common  about  war  and  other  mat- 
ters, giving  the  supremacy  to  the  family  of  Atlas. 
The  king  was  not  to  have  the  power  of  life  and 
death  over  any  of  his  kinsmen,  unless  he  had  the 
assent  of  the  majority  of  the  ten  kings. 
As  long  as  the  divine  nature  lasted  in  them, 

141 


of 

they  were  obedient  to  the  laws,  and  well  affected 
toward  the  gods,  their  kinsmen.  They  practiced 
gentleness  and  wisdom  in  various  affairs  of  life, 
and  in  their  intercourse  with  one  another.  They 
despised  everything  but  virtue,  not  caring  for 
their  present  state  of  life,  and  thinking  lightly 
on  the  possession  of  gold  and  other  property, 
which  seemed  only  a  burden  to  them.  Neither 
were  they  intoxicated  by  luxury,  nor  did  wealth 
deprive  them  of  their  self-control ;  but  they  were 
sober,  and  saw  clearly  that  all  these  goods  were 
increased  by  virtuous  friendship  with  one  an- 
other. 

But  when  the  divine  spirit  began  to  fade  away 
and  became  diluted  too  often  and  with  too  much 
mortal  admixture,  the  human  nature  got  the  up- 
perhand,  and  then  they,  being  unable  to  bear 
their  fortune,  became  unseemly,  and  to  him  who 
had  an  eye  to  see,  they  began  to  appear  base,  and 
lost  the  fairest  of  their  precious  gifts. 

Atlantis  is  not  a  myth,  but  was  in  fact  a  large 
island  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  long  since  engulfed 
in  the  seas,  during  a  glacial  period. 

Diodorus  Siculus  wrote:  "Opposite  Africa 
lies  an  island  which  on  account  of  its  magnitude 
is  worthy  to  be  mentioned.  It  is  several  days 
distant  from  Africa ;  it  has  a  fertile  soil,  many 
mountains  and  not  a  few  plains  unexcelled  in 
their  beauty.  It  is  watered  by  many  navigable 
rivers,  and  there  are  to  be  found  estates  in  abun- 
dance adorned  with  fine  buildings." 

In  the  Norse  Mythology  Atlantis  is  referred 

142 


Cfmc0 

to  as  Asgard,  the  abode  of  the  Asa  gods.  In 
the  Younger  Eddas  is  the  story  of  the  visit  of 
Glyfe,  a  Swedish  King,  to  Asgard,  the  abode  of 
the  gods,  where  Odin  instructs  him. 

Plato  wrote  that  9,000  years  before  his  time 
the  island  of  Atlantis  had  been  sunk  in  the  sea. 
Now  this  would  be  at  a  time  when  the  Northern 
Hemisphere  was  having  its  excess  of  winter  and 
an  ice  cap  had  formed  at  the  North  Pole. 

In  Genesis  6  it  is  recorded  that  after  seven 
days  of  rain,  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the 
month,  the  fountains  of  the  deep  were  broken 
up ;  that  is,  the  waters  of  the  ocean  came  up  and 
the  ground  was  covered  with  water. 

By  the  aid  of  deep  sea  soundings,  the  bed  of 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  has  been  mapped  out,  show- 
ing a  ridge  of  great  elevation  to  exist.  This 
ridge  extends  from  about  fifty  degrees  north  lati- 
tude, southwesterly  toward  the  coast  of  South 
America,  thence  in  a  southeasterly  direction  to- 
ward the  coast  of  Africa,  then  south  to  the  is- 
land of  Tristan  D  Acumba.  This  ridge  rises 
something  like  9,000  feet  each  side  above  the 
ocean  depths  around  it ;  the  Azores,  St.  Paul 
Ascension  and  Tristan  D  Acumba  are  mountain 
points  whose  heads  remain  above  the  water.  The 
Atlantic  in  some  parts  is  some  21,000  feet  deep. 
The  top  of  this  ridge  or  plain  is  in  some  places, 
but  a  few  hundred  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
ocean,  the  surface  of  the  plain  beneath  the  wa- 
ters being  covered  with  volcanic  debris. 

On  this  island,  according  to  Plato's  story,  they 

143 


RfODIe0  of 

were  builders  of  immense  stone  structures ;  their 
architects,  the  Toltecs,  went,  some  to  Mexico, 
some  to  China,  some  to  India  and  Chaldea,  some 
to  Arabia  and  Egypt,  some  to  Mexico,  some  to 
the  Central  United  States,  some  to  Yucatan,  Cen- 
tral America;  some  to  Peru,  Ireland,  England, 
Scotland,  Denmark,  Norway;  some  to  Africa, 
Asia  Minor  and  Southern  Europe,  where  they 
left  the  impress  of  their  work  in  the  stone  struc- 
tures, ruins  of  which  still  attest  their  presence 
and  work.  The  structures  in  all  the  places  show  a 
similarity  of  thought,  idea  and  art  of  construc- 
tion which  cannot  have  been  accidental,  but  all 
evidently  copied  from  like  structures  of  their 
original  place  of  abode;  stone  work  was  done 
in  identical  manner,  but  the  ornamentations  were 
also  identical.  Their  religious  structures  were, 
too,  the  same. 

The  Palace  of  Posiedon,  after  being  con- 
structed, was  ornamented  by  each  successive  ad- 
ministration;  was  beautified  and  ornamented 
with  ivory,  gold  silver,  until  it  must  have  been 
the  most  magnificent  structure  that  has  ever  been 
constructed  in  the  world  and  was  the  model 
from  which  temples  were  constructed  by  these 
people  wherever  they  went,  and  when  Solomon 
wanted  to  build  a  temple  at  Jerusalem  he  sent 
for  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  who  was  skilled  in 
architecture  evidently  from  the  models  of  At- 
lantis. 

The  Norse  legends  of  Eddas  describing  As- 
gard,  the  home  of  Odin,  describes  the  sub- 

144 


Cfmeg 

mergence  of  the  Island  of  Poseidon  with  its 
sixty-four  millions  of  inhabitants. 

It  was  probably  on  Atlantis  the  ideas  of  the 
Greek  Mythologies  took  their  rise,  Poseidon,  At- 
las and  Zeus  were  probably  kings  and  rulers  in 
Atlantis  or,  as  the  island  was  sometimes  called, 
the  Island  of  Poseidon.  It  was  here  there  arose 
the  religious  ideas  of  the  Ancient  Druids. 

The  people  of  Atlantis  seem  to  have  had  a 
patriarchal  way  of  living,  each  family  living  as 
an  entity  itself  with  the  house  father  as  priest 
of  Zeus.  This  is  manifest  in  the  civilizations  of 
the  Aryans,  Ethiopians,  Egyptians,  the  Peruvi- 
ans, the  Mexicans,  the  people  of  Central  Amer- 
ica, of  China,  India,  Babylon,  as  well  as  the  Zuni 
Indians  and  Mound  Builders  in  United  States. 

Solon  said  the  mountains  surrounding  the 
great  plain  of  Atlantis  had  many  habitations  of 
the  wealthy  inhabitants  erected  on  their  slopes. 

This  custom  seems  to  have  been  followed  by 
the  Pirunas  of  Cuzco,  who  terraced  the  moun- 
tains on  each  of  the  valley  of  the  Zucay  for  sites 
for  their  residence. 

The  system  of  land  tenure  on  Atlantis  seems 
to  have  been  on  the  theory  that  all  land  belonged 
to  the  general  community  apportioned  among  the 
different  families  equally,  and  at  stated  periods 
part  to  the  ruler  and  part  to  the  priests,  for  the 
maintenance  of  worship,  for  the  sick,  aged  and 
infirm.  The  produce  when  raised  belonged  to 
the  ruler  as  representative  of  the  community,  and 
of  which  each  person  was  entitled  to  mainte- 

145 


Eli D  Dies  of 

nance  under  the  direction  of  officers  appointed 
for  that  duty. 

Sun  and  fire  worship  was  conducted  by  a 
retinue  of  priests  for  the  celebration  of  cere- 
monies. Magnificent  temples  resplendent  with 
gold  were  built,  a  Sun  disk  of  gold  being  placed 
so  that  at  sunrise,  the  disk  receiving  the  rays  of 
the  sun  reflected  them  into  the  interior  of  the 
temple,  and  lighted  it  up.  This  custom  was  ex- 
tant in  Peru  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest, 
and  still  continues  in  the  Shinto  ceremonies  in 
Japan. 

The  people  of  Atlantis  seem  to  have  realized 
that  the  road  to  perfect  life  in  this  world  lay  in 
good  will  toward  all  men,  control  of  thought  and 
purity  of  action  and  unselfishness,  and  that  these 
virtues  were  the  necessary  preliminaries  to  the 
attainment  of  the  highest  life;  that  sacrifices 
should  be  made  only  of  the  first  fruits  and  flow- 
ers, such  as  were  made  by  Cain. 

The  existence,  on  the  continents  of  America, 
of  men,  implements,  plants,  trees  and  animals 
nearly  identical  with  those  found  upon  the  conti- 
nents of  Africa  and  Europe,  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  at  some  time  in  the  past  there  had  been 
land  communication  between  the  continents.  The 
plants  found  existing  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ocean  seem  to  have  entered  the  western  continent 
from  the  eastern  shore ;  very  few  species  were 
able  to  find  their  way  to  the  western  side  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

The  plantain  or  banana,  a  native  of  tropical 

146 


Cimcs 

Asia  or  Africa,  was  found  in  Mexico  and  South 
America,  as  well  as  on  the  West  India  Islands. 
How  could  this  plant  which  is  now  seedless  and 
cannot  stand  a  sea  voyage  get  to  America?  Its 
root  is  treelike  and  requires  great  care  in  trans- 
portation. It  must  have  been  under  culture  by  man 
a  long  period  to  have  developed  into  what  it  is. 

Ireland,  the  most  westerly  land  of  Europe, 
was  nearest  to  the  island  of  Atlantis.  The  an- 
cient Sanscrit  writings  refer  to  Ireland  as  Hy- 
rania,  the  Island  of  the  Sun  or  sun  worshipers. 
The  Greeks  called  it  Ogygia,  very  ancient. 

The  ancient  Irish  Historians  tell  of  Ireland  be- 
ing settled  before  the  flood  by  Formorians  led 
by  the  Lady,  Banblia  or  Kesair,  her  maiden  name 
being  h'Erni  or  Berba.  She  had  with  her  three 
men,  Beth,  Lahdia  and  Furtain.  The  Formori- 
ans were  said  to  be  descended  from  Noah;  they 
lived  by  piracy. 

Their  chief  god  was  Baal,  Bel  from  whom 
Belfast  was  named,  the  god  of  the  Sun.  On  cer- 
tain days  in  the  year  all  the  fires  were  ex- 
tinguished and  a  new  fire  was  kindled  by  the 
priests  from  the  Sun's  rays. 

The  Celtic  deities  were  Ogma  of  the  Sunlike 
face,  son  of  Eladan  or  Elnathan,  and  Ana,  his 
wife,  mother  of  the  Gos  and  of  Aed  (fire).  A 
daughter,  Bridget,  was  the  Goddess  of  wisdom 
and  judgment.  Her  sons  were  Suthor  or  Lor  or 
MacCuill,  the  Sea  God;  Tuthor  or  Mac  Cecht, 
the  ruler  of  the  Sky  and  Heaven,  and  Certher  or 
MacGrein,  the  God  of  Earth. 

147, 


of 


CHAPTER  X. 

AS     IT     IS     WRITTEN. 

All  over  the  world  are  traditions  as  to  a  flood. 
The  story  of  Plato  relative  to  the  Island  of  At- 
lantis, that  about  nine  thousand  years  before 
that  time,  some  eleven  thousand  four  hundred 
years  ago,  the  island  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  was 
said  to  have  been  engulfed  in  the  sea,  and  dis- 
appeared under  the  water.  This  was  evidently 
the  same  flood  described  in  the  Bible.  This  was 
the  last  flood  in  the  northern  hemisphere;  there 
has  been  one  since  in  the  southern  hemisphere. 

There  have  been  many  floods  which  were  not 
traditions  among  men,  but  the  geology  of  the 
earth's  structure  shows  them  to  have  been  in- 
numerable, alternating  from  the  northern  to  the 
southern  hemisphere  and  back  again  in  each  ten 
thousand  six  hundred  years. 

When  the  floods  came  the  inhabitants  were 
destroyed  or  driven  toward  the  equator,  and  the 
land  they  had  occupied  was  buried  beneath  the 
sea. 

On  examination  of  the  ancient  tradition, 
myths  and  accounts  which  have  been  made  in 
the  past,  comparison  is  useful  in  trying  to 

148 


Cimes 

fathom  the  beginning  of  things.  The  biblical 
account  is  similar  to  the  Babylonian,  was  prob- 
ably of  Babylonian  origin,  and  was  brought  by 
the  Jews  after  their  return  back  from  the  cap- 
tivity. 

The  Hebrew  account  of  creation  and  of  early 
man  is  contained  in  the  composite  narratives 
given  in  Genesis.  The  first  chapter  and  the  first 
three  verses  of  the  second  chapter  seem  to  be  the 
first  narrative.  It  gives  an  account  of  creation, 
of  the  world,  vegetation,  animals  and  water  on 
the  land,  and  man  in  the  order  which  probably 
has  been  the  course  of  creation.  The  days  stated 
in  the  record  evidently  mean  periods  of  time,  not 
days  of  twenty-four  hours.  This  record  de- 
clares Lord  God  was  the  creator,  and  it  declares 
when  he  created  man,  God  said  unto  him,  "Be 
fruitful  and  multiply  and  replenish  the  earth, 
and  subdue  it,  have  dominion  over  the  fish  in  the 
sea,  the  fowl  in  the  air,  and  every  living  thing." 

In  the  balance  of  Chapter  2,  after  the  first 
three  verses,  there  seems  to  be  an  account  drawn 
from  different  sources,  wherein  it  is  stated  that 
at  the  time  of  the  creation  of  man,  there  was 
no  plant  upon  the  earth.  That  only  a  mist  had 
gone  up  out  of  the  ground  when  man  was  made 
and  after  creation  of  man,  God  planted  a  gar- 
den and  put  man  in  it.  In  this  garden  Adam  and 
Eve  were  tempted  by  a  serpent,  and  violated  the 
commands  of  Jehovah,  for  which  they  were 
cursed  and  driven  out. 

Cain  and  Abel  offered  up  the  first  fruits  of 

149 


IRiDDlCS  Of 

the  field  and  of  the  flock,  which  was  an  early 
manifestation  of  the  act  of  sacrifice.  Jealousy 
caused  Cain  to  kill  Abel,  and  he  was  driven 
forth  a  wanderer.  He  seemed  to  be  afraid  that 
he  would  meet  other  people  and  whoever  found 
him  would  kill  him.  He  went  eastward  and 
found  a  wife  in  the  land  of  Nod.  In  Genesis, 
Chapter  6,  it  is  declared  that  men  began  to  mul- 
tiply on  the  face  of  the  ground  and  daughters 
were  born  to  them,  that  the  sons  of  God  probably 
the  Aryans  from  central  Europe  saw  the  daugh- 
ters of  man,  that  they  were  fair,  and  they  took 
wives  of  all  that  they  choose.  Giants  were 
upon  the  earth  in  those  days,  and  when  the  sons 
of  God  came  in  unto  the  daughters  of  men  and 
they  bore  children,  the  children  became  mighty 
men  that  were  of  old,  men  of  renown. 

The  Jehovah  of  the  Hebrew  scriptures  is  the 
tribal  God  of  the  Jews.  He  protects  them,  he 
helps  them  fight  and  destroy  their  enemies;  he 
is  worshiped  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  gods. 
The  conception  was  not  of  a  God  over  all  the 
universe ;  he  was  a  partial  God,  who  became 
angry  and  vengeful.  It  was  an  entirely  different 
conception  from  the  God  of  Isaiah  and  of  Jesus. 

The  Hebrew  people  were  a  patriarchial  or- 
ganization. Their  religious  ideas  are  directly 
traceable  to  ancestor  worship;  Abraham  is 
looked  upon  as  a  remote  ancestor.  The  God  of 
Abraham,  Jehovah,  was  an  ancestral  divinity, 
who  looked  after  the  interest  of  his  clan. 

The  evolution  of  the  concept  of  God,  as  evi- 

150 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

denced  in  the  Bible,  is  a  wonderful  indication  of 
the  growth  of  the  Hebrew  intellect.  Jehovah, 
the  tribal  God  of  the  Jews,  was  a  very  crude  con- 
ception of  a  God,  a  being  who  could  get  angry 
and  vengeful  like  a  brutal  man;  a  being  who 
had  respect  for  the  bloody  sacrifice  of  Abel,  but 
had  none  for  that  of  Cain;  a  being  who  was  "a 
jealous  God,  visiting  the  sins  of  the  fathers  on 
the  children,  to  the  third  and  fourth  genera- 
tions." The  commandment,  "Honor  thy  father 
and  thy  mother  that  the  days  may  be  long  in  the 
land  which  the  Lord,  thy  God,  giveth  thee,"  is 
a  clear  exhortation  to  Ancestor  Worship.  Je- 
hovah was  the  ancestral  God  of  the  Jews.  He 
was  to  be  propitiated  by  sacrifice  of  men  and 
animals;  the  first  born  of  the  family  and  of  the 
flocks,  and  herds  were  to  be  given  as  a  burnt 
offering.  When  he  was  angry  his  anger  might 
be  appeased  by  a  hearty  meal  given  in  sacrifice. 

The  Hebrew  mind,  in  the  course  of  time, 
formed  an  entirely  different  conception  of  the 
Creator,  which  was  more  in  accord  with  the 
kindliness  and  goodness  exhibited  toward  man- 
kind by  the  ruler  of  the  universe. 

This  conception  was  vastly  changed  when 
Isaiah  wrote,  "Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord: 
*  *  *  <TO  what  purpose  is  the  multitude  of 
your  sacrifices  unto  me?'  saith  the  Lord:  I  am 
full  of  the  burnt  offerings  of  rams  and  the  fat 
of  fed  beasts." 

Jesus  said  unto  Matthew :  "If  thou  bring  thy 
gift  to  the  altar  and  there  rememberest  that  thy 


RiDDlCS  Of 

brother  hath  aught  against  thee ;  leave  there  thy 
gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy  way;  first  be 
reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then  come  and 
offer  thy  gift." 

The  later  God  is  a  being  to  be  loved  and  re- 
vered, and  has  the  effect  of  making  men  love 
and  be  kindly  toward  their  fellow  men,  to  regard 
all  other  men  as  brothers,  children  of  the  same 
father.  The  God  described  by  Jesus  as  a  father 
regarding  his  children  in  a  kindly  manner  is  an 
infinitely  grander  conception  of  a  God  than  Jeho- 
vah the  God  of  Moses,  it  shows  a  wonderful  evo- 
lution of  the  concept  of  the  Almighty,  who  from 
all  that  may  be  ascertained  by  men  to  be  a  being 
who  is  goodness  itself,  who  hath  regard  for  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  his  children  on  earth, 
whose  mercy  is  sublime,  whose  attitude  toward 
man  is  kindliness  and  paternal  regard.  That  all 
ideas  of  harshness  or  cruelty  in  volume  is  but  the 
emanations  of  the  mind  of  cruel  and  vengeful 
men  who  wrongly  imagine  the  Almighty  to  be 
influenced  by  a  spirit  of  revenge  against  men 
who  do  not  follow  the  dictation  of  priests, 
which  is  without  foundation  in  anything  except 
the  depraved  notions  of  such  men.  That  there 
is  in  fact  no  such  thing  as  eternal  punishment 
for  men  for  anything  they  may  do  in  life.  Men 
are  beginning  to  realize  that  there  is  no  such 
condition  as  hell  or  a  being  such  as  a  personal 
devil  is  portrayed  to  be.  That  the  Almighty  is 
too  good,  too  kindly,  too  just  to  consign  any 
human  being  to  such  a  condition.  That  the  cor- 

152 


Cfmes 

rect  estimate  of  the  character  of  God  tends  to 
make  men  more  kindly,  just,  and  altruistic  like 
the  good  Samaritan  described  by  Jesus  in  the 
parable.  That  such  a  spirit  is  growing  through- 
out the  world  and  men  are  growing  better,  more 
honest,  and  more  true  by  the  influence  of  such 
a  conception  than  ever  before.  That  the  minds 
of  men  all  over  the  world  are  permeated  with 
ideas  of  friendliness  and  good  will  toward  each 
other.  Nations  are  trying  to  solve  the  problem 
of  universal  peace  such  as  never  before,  and 
are  endeavoring  to  treat  each  other  by  doing  to 
others  as  they  would  have  others  do  to  them,  as 
was  so  noticeable  in  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  foregoing  and  forgiving  to  China 
the  payment  of  the  indemnity  for  the  Boxer  out- 
rages and  expense  incurred  in  suppressing  same, 
and  as  is  shown  by  the  Arbitration  Court  at  the 
Hague,  organized  to  settle  by  reason  disputes  be- 
tween nations  in  preference  to  the  sword  and 
artillery.  Apparent  in  the  surge  of  the  feeling 
among  nations  to  avoid  the  slaughter  of  men  in 
battle,  by  settlement  or  arbitration  of  disputes 
thus  avoiding  the  waste  of  men  and  treasure 
which  has  been  so  cruelly  expended  in  the  past. 
The  world  is  certainly  growing  better,  kindlier, 
more  humane,  the  result  of  men  in  these  days 
being  swayed  by  reason  instead  of  superstition 
and  bigotry. 

Religious  zeal  has  often  led  to  extreme  cruelty, 
shown  in  one  instance  by  the  action  of  Elijah, 
before  King  Ahab,  where  Elijah  proposed  a  test 

153 


HID  Dies  of 

between  himself,  as  a  prophet  of  the  Hebrew 
God,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  priests 
of  Baal,  in  the  Camp  of  Ahab,  which  the  priests 
of  Baal  were  not  wise  enough  to  refuse  to  enter 
into.  He  built  an  altar  for  the  test,  evidently 
placing  in  it  stones  of  unslacked  lime.  He  pre- 
tended to  pour  water  on  the  altar,  but  presum- 
ably alcohol  was  used,  which  slacked  the  lime 
and  caused  fire  to  light  the  alcohol.  So,  by  his 
trick,  he  was  able  to  lead  the  450  priests  of  Baal 
out  to  slaughter  as  false  prophets. 


154 


Prehistoric  Cimes 


CHAPTER  XL 

IN   THE   LAND   OF  SHEBA. 

In  examining  the  earliest  evidences  of  civili- 
zation most  of  the  oldest  peoples  appear  to  have 
received  their  culture  ready  made  from  some 
older  nation.  Egypt  appears  to  have  had  no 
youth,  nor  Chaldea,  Babylon,  Phoenicia  and 
Greece.  These  were  all  indebted  to  the  people 
of  ancient  Arabia,  the  Cushites,  for  the  seeds  of 
culture.  The  Arabians  were  an  intellectual  peo- 
ple, gentle,  kindly,  peaceable  and  commercial  in 
their  instincts.  They  maintained  immense  fleets 
of  ships  which  penetrated  to  all  parts  of  the 
world,  carrying  their  own  arts,  architecture  and 
civilization  to  all  countries  which  they  visited. 

They  had  some  knowledge  of  astronomy, 
sculpture,  hieroglyphics  and  writing,  which  they 
imparted  to  their  colonies.  It  was  they  who  car- 
ried the  knowledge  of  building  in  stone  to  India, 
Egypt,  Antolia,  Chaldea,  Babylon,  Greece,  Italy, 
along  the  north  and  west  coasts  of  Africa.  Their 
structures  are  characterized  by  the  immense 
blocks  of  stone  used  and  similarities  of  con- 
struction. 

In   southwestern  Asia,   between  the   Persian 

155 


of 

Gulf  and  Red  Sea,  is  a  vast  peninsular  nearly 
one-third  as  large  as  the  whole  European  conti- 
nent, the  oldest  center  of  culture  of  that  part  of 
the  most  ancient  world,  the  Ethiopia  of  ancient 
times,  isolated  by  the  ranges  of  lofty  mountains 
and  the  deserts  which  surround  it  on  all  sides. 
With  the  Red  Sea  on  the  west,  the  Indian  Ocean 
on  the  southeast,  the  Persian  Gulf  on  the  east, 
it  has  been  called,  and  appropriately,  the  Island 
of  the  Arabs.  It  presented  an  inhospitable  front 
to  the  outside  world.  Little  of  the  country  was 
known  to  outsiders,  either  in  ancient  or  modern 
times,  beyond  the  border  lands  and  the  district 
between  the  coast  ranges  and  the  sea.  No  for- 
eign conqueror  penetrated  the  interior,  protected 
as  it  was  by  waterless  sandy  deserts  and  moun- 
tains raising  to  a  height  of  some  seven  thousand 
feet  on  all  sides. 

Accustomed  to  traverse  the  deserts,  it  was 
easy  for  the  Arabs  to  get  to  the  coasts,  and  from 
very  ancient  times  they  maintained  intercourse 
with  outside  lands.  An  enterprising  race  of 
people,  they  were  maritime,  maintaining  a  most 
extensive  shipping.  The  Vikings  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  in  very  ancient  times  established  and 
maintained  settlements  in  the  islands  of  the 
southern  seas. 

The  Egyptian  civilization  was  indebted  to  the 
Arabians,  as  were  the  Dravadian  settlements  in 
India  and  the  islands  of  Indian  Ocean,  and  the 
Chaldean  civilization  of  Mesopotamia.  They 
were  the  fathers  of  the  Phoenicians,  the  civil- 

156 


Cfmc0 

izers  of  the  oriental  world ;  they  spread  the  arts 
of  sculpture,  architecture  and  mathematics 
wherever  they  went.  They  used  writing1,  hiero- 
glyphic and  alphabetical.  They  used  gold  and 
silver  in  the  ornamentation  of  their  furniture 
and  buildings.  The  date  palm  gave  them  a 
bountiful  supply  of  cheap  and  wholesome  food, 
making  high  state  of  culture  possible. 

Pliny  tells  us  that  the  people  of  Oman  in 
Arabia  and  of  their  once  famous  cities  which 
were  already  in  ruins  when  he  wrote.  He  said 
the  Arabians  were  the  oldest  nation  in  the  world. 
An  ancient  Arabian  monarch,  Zohak,  is  men- 
tioned as  being  a  great  and  powerful  conqueror, 
who  paid  assiduous  worship  to  Zeydeim  and  the 
stars.  Another  ancient  Arabian  sovereign,  Isch- 
man  Seroch,  built  a  temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baal- 
beck  and  placed  in  it  an  inscription,  "In  the 
name  of  the  God,  Ischman  Soroch  has  erected 
this  edifice  to  the  Sun,  his  Lord/'  Another  an- 
cient Arabian  monarch,  Afrikes,  is  said  to  have 
subdued  the  whole  of  northern  Africa,  from  the 
eastern  end  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  the  Span- 
ish peninsular. 

In  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis  there  is  de- 
scribed the  River  Gihon  as  encompassing  the 
land  of  Ethiopia  or  Cush,  evidently  the  Arabian 
Sea.  In  the  Sanscrit  writing  Arabia  is  called 
Cusha  Dwipa. 

The  kindliness  and  hospitality  of  the  Arabi- 
ans is  evidenced  by  the  reception  accorded  Abra- 
ham by  the  King  of  Sodon,  who  went  out  to 

157 


Hi  &  Dies  of 

meet  Abraham  at  the  valley  of  Shaveh.  Kehpas 
was  another  traditional  ruler  in  Arabia. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  Ethiopians  originated 
in  Africa,  but  Arabia  was  their  original  abode. 
The  name  came  from  Aethiops,  serpent  wor- 
shipers, an  appellation  of  the  followers  of  Zeus. 
The  countries  of  the  upper  Nile  were  subju- 
gated by  the  Arabians  or  Cushite  Ethiopians. 

In  Hebrew  scriptures,  Arabia  is  called  Cush. 
The  Queen  of  Sheba,  who  visited  Solomon,  was 
an  Arabian  or  Cushite  Queen.  The  Ethiopian 
wife  of  Moses  was  an  Arabian  woman,  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  Priest  of  Midian. 

De  Wells  in  his  geography  of  the  old  and  new 
testament,  says :  "It  is  incontestable  that  the 
Ethiopian  nations  of  Cush  had  their  original 
abode  in  Arabia." 

The  oldest  Sanscrit  writings  speak  of  the  An- 
cient Cushite  people,  calling  the  country  they 
inhabit  Cusha  Dwipa,  the  country  of  the  Cush 
people.  They  call  Europe,  Varaha  Dwipa. 

In  very  ancient  times  there  was  a  ruler  in 
Arabia,  long  before  Kephas,  called  Dionysus, 
the  God  of  wine,  called  in  India  Bacchus.  The 
Arabians  at  the  time  he  lived  had  dominion  over 
upper  Egypt;  lower  Egypt  was  an  arm  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  its  lands  were  low  and 
swampy.  He  is  called,  in  Egyptian  mythology, 
Osiris,  and  was  deified.  There  are  legends  of 
him  in  Asia  Minor  and  in  Greece.  Thymates  of 
Asia  Minor  wrote  a  history  of  Dionysus,  which 
is  mentioned  by  Diodorus  Seculus,  written  prior 

158 


Prehistoric  Cimeg 

to  the  Ionian  settlements.  The  history  of 
Dionysus  was  given  in  a  poem  entitled  Phrygia. 
It  was  commented  by  Diodorus  Siculus  that  Thy- 
mates  took  pains  to  secure  the  most  accurate 
information  relative  to  Dionysus  when  he  visited 
Nysa,  Arabia,  where  Dionysus  was  born. 
Auman,  a  king  in  Arabia,  married  Rhea,  sister 
of  Cronus,  king  of  Italy,  Sicily  and  part  of 
northern  Africa.  He  became  enamored  of  the 
maiden,  Amalthea  and  Dionysus  was  born  to 
them.  Rhea  separated  from  Auman  thereupon, 
and  was  married  to  Cronus. 

Cronus  made  war  on  Auman,  and  marched 
with  an  army  against  Nysa.  Young  Dionysus 
took  the  field  against  him,  and  seated  Zeus,  his 
son,  on  the  throne  which  had  been  occupied  by 
Cronus.  Dionysus  succeeded  his  father  as  ruler 
at  Nysa,  and  became  the  greatest  of  sov- 
ereigns in  ancient  times.  He  extended  his  do- 
minions over  all  neighboring  lands,  made  con- 
quest of  India,  where  he  spent  three  years  and 
built  the  Indian  city  of  Nysa.  He  afterwards 
went  to  Egypt,  where  he  ruled  the  land. 

Cronus  is  said  to  have  introduced  agriculture, 
social  life  and  manners  to  Italy.  His  reign  was 
filled  with  plenty,  the  Golden  Age  of  Italy.  He 
died  and  was  deified.  The  Egyptian,  Greek  and 
Roman  legends  made  Dionysus  contemporaneous 
with  Cronus  and  Saturn.  Fresnal  in  his  journal, 
Asiatiqui,  identifies  Dionysus  with  the  Arabian 
Dhou  Nerwas  and  Afrikas. 

Wilford  supports  the  claim  that  Dionysus  is 

159 


UJDDIC0  Of 

the  person  referred  to  in  Sanscrit  as  Deva  Na- 
husha,  long  prior  to  the  time  of  the  Aryan  in- 
vasion of  India.  When  Deva  Nahusha  had  con- 
quered the  world  he  visited  Africa  and  the  south 
of  Egypt,  the  abode  of  his  grandfather  Arti. 
Because  the  place  was  going  to  decay,  he  di- 
rected his  engineer,  Vivasa  Carma,  to  rebuild 
the  city  and  call  it  Deva  Nahusha  Nagara.  Wil- 
ford  claims  that  these  references  are  important, 
as  they  are  recollections  of  an  earlier  period. 

In  the  olden  writings  of  Indian  traditions, 
Dionysus  is  held  to  be  the  founder  of  the  first 
monarchy  in  India ;  when  he  left  India  he  estab- 
lished on  the  throne  Spartemtas,  one  of  the 
priests  of  Arabia,  who  reigned  fifty-three  years, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Budzas.  Budzas 
reigned  twenty  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Cravedvas.  This  dynasty  continued  to  flourish 
in  regular  lineal  descent  many  generations,  to 
time  of  Alexandria.  Before  the  time  of  Menes 
in  Egypt  there  had  been  thirteen  Thivite  Kings. 
Learned  Egyptologists  agree  that  prior  to  Menes, 
the  civilization  of  Egypt  rested  on  a  basis  of 
many  centuries,  during  which  there  had  been  a 
gradual  development  of  national  character.  Be- 
fore Menes  there  was  a  renowned,  enlightened 
and  powerful  people.  They  had  letters,  science 
and  art. 

The  Arabians  brought  to  Egypt  letters  and 
the  civilization  of  their  own  land,  and  under  the 
Egyptians  it  developed  a  character  distinctively 
its  own. 

160 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

The  religion  of  the  Ancient  Arabs  was  planet 
worship ;  the  Sun,  as  Baal,  was  the  generative 
or  reproductive  power.  Sometimes  human  scari- 
fices  were  offered,  particularly  children.  The 
favorite  place  for  his  worship  was  an  elevated 
place,  like  the  roof  of  the  house  or  a  high  hill. 
With  Ashteroth,  the  female  principle,  the  moon 
was  connected  with  sun  worship.  This  sun  and 
moon  worship  was  carried  into  India,  and  into 
Egypt ;  connected  with  this  religion  was  serpent 
worship,  the  serpent  being  considered  the  most 
subtle  of  creatures.  The  same  religious  ideas 
were  adopted  by  the  Greeks  and  Druids. 

Fires  were  kindled  on  a  May  day,  Beltane 
fires,  with  much  ceremony.  It  was  common  to 
make  human  sacrifice  when  this  holy  fire  was 
made.  The  people  took  some  of  the  fire  for  their 
household  hearths,  and  kept  it  alive  from  day  to 
day. 

The  names  Belfast,  Belgium,  Baltic,  Bele- 
berger,  Baleshanger,  Balestrander,  the  midsum- 
mer night  fire,  Bal  and  Balders  fire  in  Scandi- 
navia, and  the  name  Hannibal,  show  how  general 
was  the  worship  of  Baal.  Balder  in  Norse  Myth- 
ology was  a  son  of  Odin,  one  of  the  principal 
gods.  He  was  the  sun  God,  the  whitest  of  the 
gods,  so  beautiful  and  bright  that  light  emanates 
from  him ;  he  was  the  wisest  and  highest  of  the 
Asas. 

The  ancient  Arabian  was  a  commercial  civil- 
izer ;  where  he  went  he  carried  a  blessing  to  the 
people.  They  received  at  his  hands  the  civilized 

161 


KJDDIC0  Of 

arts  and  practices.  Sun  worship  and  serpent 
worship  was  a  feature  of  their  religion,  and  these 
ideas  followed  them  to  the  colonies  they  estab- 
lished all  over  the  world,  in  Europe,  America, 
India  and  the  Pacific  Islands.  They  were  the 
building  race,  the  architects  of  the  ancient  times. 
Their  stone  structures  have  a  character  of  their 
own  unlike  that  of  any  other  people,  and  in  all 
places  their  architectural  and  religious  ideas 
were  practiced. 

The  Cushites  seem  to  have  been  the  first  civil- 
izers  and  builders  in  western  Asia.  They  may 
be  traced  by  their  language,  their  architecture 
and  by  their  influence  upon  civilizations  on  both 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  in  the  Nile 
Valley,  in  India  and  the  islands  of  the  southern 
seas. 

They  are  sometimes  called  Adites  and  some- 
times Hamites.  It  is  said  they  originally  con- 
sisted of  twelve  tribes.  Its  language,  the  lan- 
guage of  Ad,  is  considered  one  of  the  oldest 
tongues  spoken  on  earth.  The  ancient  Hamitic 
inscriptions  were  written  with  the  first  alphabet 
of  mankind.  The  alphabet  said  to  have  been 
carried  by  the  Phoenicians  to  Greece  was  of  a 
latter  growth  than  that  of  the  ancient  hiero- 
glyphic inscriptions. 

Herodotus  says  that  Arabia  is  the  only  coun- 
try in  which  myrrh,  frankincense,  cinnamon  and 
ledanum  are  grown.  His  appreciation  of  the 
country  is  summed  up  in  his  exclamation: 
"There  breathes  from  Arabia  a  divine  odor." 

162 


Cimes 

Diodorus  Siculis  said:  "The  perfumes  of 
Arabia  ravish  the  senses  and  are  conveyed  by 
the  winds  to  those  who  sail  near  the  coast."  The 
Arabians  were  never  conquered.  They  had  gold 
and  silver  in  abundance,  and  their  beds,  chairs 
and  stools  had  silver  feet.  The  porticos  of  their 
houses  and  temples  are  adorned  with  gold  and 
silver,  with  ivory  and  precious  stones,  for  they 
enjoyed  uninterrupted  peace  for  many  ages. 

The  Cushites  were  an  aggregation  of  munici- 
palities or  tribes  headed  by  Ad ;  the  same  system 
of  separate  municipalities  govern  their  own  in- 
ternal affairs,  and  is  noticeable  in  all  the  colonies 
of  Phoenicia. 

In  every  country  where  the  old  Cushite  settle- 
ments are  traced  are  found  the  remains  of  vast 
constructions  that  astonish  and  perplex  behold- 
ers, in  Egypt,  Nubia,  Arabia,  India,  Greece, 
Italy,  Phoenicia  and  Great  Britain.  The  stone 
work  shown  by  some  of  these  constructions  is 
amazing.  The  ruins  of  Baalbec  show  a  remain- 
ing wall  20  feet  above  the  ground,  containing 
three  vast  blocks  of  stone,  each  12  feet  deep,  12 
feet  wide  and  more  than  60  feet  long,  lying  end 
to  end. 

The  hand  of  the  ancient  Cushite  architects  are 
seen  in  the  construction  of  Petra  and  in  the  re- 
mains of  all  ancient  Phoenician  cities  that  have 
been  explored. 

From  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  at 
about  25  degrees  north  latitude,  in  Africa,  the 
population  consists  of  Arab  tribes  who  came 


Of 

there  by  conquest.  There  are  many  Jews.  The 
Berbers  of  the  Atlas  region,  the  Tauricks  and 
Tibbus  of  Sahara  and  the  Copts  of  Egypt  are 
the  original  stock.  Moors  are  a  mixed  descent. 
The  Hottentots  in  the  south  are  a  distinct  race, 
closely  resembling  the  Mongolian  races  of  Asia. 
From  20  degrees  north  latitude  to  Cape  Colony, 
the  negro  family  only  are  found. 

The  Copts  are  darker  than  the  Arabs,  sullen, 
ignorant,  faithless  and  dishonest. 

The  Nubians  were  red  brown  approaching 
black,  but  not  the  ebony  of  the  negro.  Their 
hair  is  frizzled,  black  and  thick.  They  are 
Nomadic  herdsmen  and  live  on  flesh  and  milk. 

The  Barbarians  inhabited  the  upper  Nile  val- 
ley. They  are  a  people  distinct  from  the  Arabs. 
They  are  honest  in  their  dealings;  they  plant 
date  trees  and  irrigate  the  soil  with  water 
wheels. 

The  Tubbas  are  the  ancient  Libyans ;  in  color 
they  vary  from  black  to  copper  color.  They  are 
slim,  well  made,  have  high  cheek  bones,  flat 
noses  like  the  negro,  large  mouths,  fine  teeth  like 
Europeans,  hair  curly,  not  woolly,  and  ex- 
pressive eyes.  They  are  a  pastoral  people.  They 
keep  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  goats  and  camels, 
which  is  their  principal  wealth,  and  live  in  vil- 
lages. 

El  Mathudi,  an  Arabian,  born  in  1199,  writing 
of  a  Malayan  monarchy  in  Zabaja,  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  says :  "Near  India  is  a  vast  country  hav- 
ing many  seas  and  mountains,  bordering  on  the 

164 


Cime0 

Kingdom  of  Ezzanij,  which  is  the  kingdom  of 
Maharaya.  When  the  Portuguese  made  their 
appearance  in  that  part  of  the  world,  the  em- 
pire was  still  in  existence.  It  included  the  penin- 
sula of  Mallacca,  the  islands  of  Sumatra,  Bor- 
neo, Java  and  Celebes,  and  other  islands  between 
them  and  Australia. 

Renamdof  gives  a  report  of  two  Musselman 
missionaries  who  visited  this  part  of  the  world 
in  the  Qth  century,  at  which  time  the  kingdom 
included  Arracan,  Chittogong  and  the  Gangetic 
provinces.  It  was  called  the  empire  of  Zapage 
or  Zabaja.  Sumatra  was  called  Jababim  by 
Ptolemy  and  Marco  Polo.  Zabaja,  in  Mallacca, 
was  a  great  maritime  power  before  the  Christian 
era.  It  may  be  these  Malays  were  the  race  found 
in  India  by  the  Arabians.  The  Malayan  dialect 
or  speech  is  used  on  the  islands  of  Pacific  from 
New  Zealand  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  Mada-^ 
gascar,  Formosa,  and  the  Indian  Archipelago  to 
Easter  Islands,  and  on  the  American  side  of  the 
Pacific.  They  all  have  rites  and  customs,  which 
indicate  a  common  origin.  The  Malayans  read 
and  write;  they  now  use  the  Arabic  characters, 
but  formerly  they  used  another  alphabet. 

In  earliest  times  the  Arabians  built  immense 
structures  of  stone  in  broken  ashlar,  not  laid  in 
regular  layers,  but  the  angular  blocks  of  im- 
mense size  were  fitted  together.  In  very  ancient 
times  men  did  not  know  how  to  construct  a  true 
arch.  They  made  an  arch  or  domed  their  struc- 
tures, by  corbelling  the  stone,  that  is,  by  extend- 

165 


of 

ing  each  successive  flat  layer  of  stone  out  t>e- 
yond  the  course  beneath  it,  until  the  space  they 
desired  to  enclose  could  be  covered  by  one  flat 
stone. 

There  is  extant  a  quotation  from  the  writings 
of  Agatharchides :  "The  Sabeans  surpass  in 
wealth  and  magnificence  not  only  the  neighbor- 
ing barbarians,  but  all  other  nations,  as  their 
situation  protects  them  from  all  foreign  plunder. 
Immense  stores  of  precious  metals  have  been  ac- 
cumulated, especially  at  their  capital.  Curiously 
wrought  drinking  vessels  of  precious  metals 
they  have  in  great  variety,  couches  and  tripods 
with  silver  feet,  an  incredible  profusion  of  costly 
furniture,  porticos  with  large  columns  partly  gilt 
and  ornamented  with  wrought  silver  figures, 
roofs  and  doors  ornamented  with  gold  fretwork 
set  with  precious  stones.  An  extraordinary  mag- 
nificence reigns  in  decorations  of  their  houses, 
where  they  use  gold,  silver  and  ivory  and  pre- 
cious stones  and  all  other  things  men  deem  most 
valuable.  These  people  have  enjoyed  unmolested 
good  fortune  from  times  immemorial." 

Central  Arabia  is  an  extensive  tableland,  di- 
versified by  hills  and  valleys  and  surrounded  by 
a  waste  and  desert.  The  fertile  interior  is  twice 
the  extent  of  France,  and  could  sustain  a  very 
large  population.  That  it  did  in  ancient  times 
have  such  a  population  is  attested  by  the  old 
ruins,  which  have  not  been  definitely  explored. 
They  are  found  everywhere  from  Baalbec  and 
Petri  in  the  north  to  Marob  and  Zhafar.  In 

166 


Pre&fstoric  Cime* 

many  of  them  are  to  be  found  the  most  ancient 
inscriptions  of  the  world.  About  1830  the  British 
East  India  Company  had  the  coast  line  of  Arabia 
surveyed  and  explored,  and  some  of  the  officers 
accompanying  the  expedition  traveled  into 
Oman  and  Hadramant.  They  visited  important 
ruins  at  Nakab  el  Hadger,  between  Hadramant 
and  Zeinen,  where  they  found  the  remains  of 
an  immense  wall,  originally  thirty  to  forty  feet 
high,  and  ten  feet  thick  at  its  base.  It  was  built 
around  an  extensive  hill,  and  had  square  towers 
at  equal  distances.  The  blocks  of  which  it  was 
constructed  were  of  gray  marble,  hewn  and  fitted 
by  the  builders  with  nicety,  indicating  much  skill 
in  construction.  Within  the  inclosure  were  the 
remains  of  edifices.  The  size  of  the  stone  used 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  art  of  building  ex- 
hibited in  the  style  and  mode  of  placing  them, 
would  give  these  structures  importance  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  Describing  one  of  the  build- 
ings, it  was  said :  "That  it  owes  its  origin  to  a 
very  remote  antiquity  is  apparent  by  its  resem- 
blance to  the  most  ancient  Egyptian  ruins,  the 
same  battering  of  the  walls,  the  same  form  of 
openings,  the  same  flat  stone  roofs."  It  is 
thought  these  indicated  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city  of  Mayfah,  the  Menfa  of  Ptolemy. 

Among  the  ruins  so  visited  was  those  of  Has- 
san Ghorah.  It  is  a  hill  of  five  hundred  feet 
high,  formerly  an  island  in  the  Red  Sea ;  all  over 
it  are  scattered  ruins  of  houses,  walls,  and  towers. 
Everything  indicates  that  an  important  commer- 

167 


RiDDIc*  of 

cial  center  once  existed  here,  probably  the  an- 
cient city  of  Kaua.  Hamitic  inscriptions  were 
found  here  in  abundance. 

On  the  coast  of  Hadramant  are  the  ruins  of 
the  ancient  city  of  Zhafar,  the  Sapphar  of  the 
Scriptures.  It  is  supposed  the  ancient  city  stood 
at  some  distance  from  the  sea.  The  blocks  of 
stone  used  in  construction  were  cut  with  the  pre- 
cision of  admirable  workmanship. 

In  July,  1843,  Thomas  J.  Armand,  a  French- 
man, visited  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city  of 
Zenen  known  as  Saba,  also  Mareb  or  Maraba, 
once  the  populous  and  magnificent  capital  of 
Southern  Arabia.  He  examined  the  Great  Dike 
or  tank,  so  famous  in  Arabic  traditions,  built  in 
a  depression  between  two  mountains.  This  res- 
ervoir was  in  a  state  of  decay  at  time  of  the 
Queen  of  Sheba,  and  was  repaired  by  her.  The 
embankment  was  a  very  massive  stone  struc- 
ture, the  waters  being  intended  for  irrigation 
purposes. 

Strabo,  Pliny,  Ptolemy  and  others  speak  of 
great  and  populous  cities  of  Arabia  which  no 
longer  exist  except  in  unexplored  ruins. 

In  1860,  El  Harrah,  the  remarkable  country 
south  of  Damascus,  belonging  to  Arabia,  was  vis- 
ited by  Mr.  Cyril  G.  Graham,  who  found  cities 
with  houses  nearly  perfect.  He  copied  some  in- 
scriptions, which  he  gave  to  the  Royal  Asiatic 
Society  of  London.  A  high  authority  described 
them  to  be  the  most  ancient  forms  of  Phoenician 
writing  yet  discovered.  A  traveler  named  Wil- 

168 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

bur  is  said  to  have  secured  two  inscriptions  at 
Bellad  Sof,  in  Central  Arabia,  similar  to  those 
of  El  Harrah,  the  same  characters  constantly  re- 
curring. One  of  the  alphabetic  characters  are 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  world,  except  among 
the  Runic  letters  and  in  the  Etruscan  alphabet. 

In  the  Syrian  Desert,  at  Djowf,  is  a  ruin  of 
an  old  castle,  the  south  wall  of  which  preserves 
the  first  line  of  construction;  the  huge  size  and 
exact  squaring  of  the  stone  in  the  lower  tiers  in- 
dicate the  great  antiquity  of  the  work.  The 
small  windows  are  placed  ten  feet  above  the 
ground,  topped  by  what  is  called  the  Cyclopean 
Arch,  a  specimen  of  which  may  be  seen  at  My- 
cena,  in  the  so-called  Palace  of  Atreus.  In  Kas- 
seem  was  found  the  remains  of  an  ancient 
structure  similar  to  those  at  Stonehange,  Eng- 
land. There  is  little  difference  between  the  stone 
structure  at  Kasseem  and  that  of  Wiltshire.  The 
upright  stones  were  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and 
were  arranged  in  a  circle.  The  structures  were 
evidently  intended  for  the  same  purpose. 

Gades,  in  Portugal,  was  built  near  the  old  city 
of  Erythria,  on  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the 
old  Tartessus,  at  the  time  of  Strabo,  by  the  Ara- 
bians. The  founders  worshipped  the  Arabian 
Melcartes,  and  one  of  the  first  edifices  was  a 
Temple  of  Heracles.  Strabo  said  of  it:  "Its  in- 
habitants equip  the  greatest  number  of  ships,  the 
largest  size  both  for  our  sea  and  the  exterior 
ocean."  The  best  material  for  shipbuilding  was 
abundant  in  that  part  of  Spain.  Gades  and  Tar- 

169 


of 

tessus  were  noted  for  the  construction  of  large 
ships  suitable  for  use  on  the  great  outside  ocean. 
Tartessus  seems  to  have  been  the  Tarshish  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible. 

There  were  three  hundred  Cushite  settlements 
along  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  extending 
as  far  north  as  Norway,  Ireland,  and  Scotland. 

The  commercial  enterprise  of  the  ancient  peo- 
ple of  Arabia  took  them  to  all  the  southern  seas. 
They  established  a  Maylayan  civilization  in 
Southern  India  and  in  the  islands  of  the  Indian 
Ocean.  They  used  the  magnetic  needle,  but  kept 
it  secret,  so  that  other  peoples  might  not  enter 
into  competition  with  them  in  navigation. 

There  were  two  races  in  Arabia,  the  oldest 
people  of  Ad,  the  Ethiopians,  or  serpent  wor- 
shippers, and  the  Cushites.  They  lived  in 
houses  and  cities,  and  built  habitations  like  the 
Semitic  Bedouins,  the  wandering  Arabian  herds- 
man, who  afterwards  became  Mahommetans. 
The  old  race  consisted  of  twelve  tribes,  organized 
as  separate  communities  or  municipalities,  each 
independent  of  the  other,  governed  by  their  own 
hereditary  chiefs.  Palgrave,  who  traveled  late- 
ly, published  his  estimate  of  the  people,  and  said : 
"After  having  traveled  much,  and  made  intimate 
acquaintance  with  many  people,  I  would  give 
preference  to  the  pure  and  unmixed  clans  of 
Central  and  Eastern  Arabia.  They  represent 
one  of  the  noblest  races  the  earth  affords.  Taken 
in  themselves  and  individually,  they  are  endowed 
with  a  remarkable  aptitude  for  practical  and  ma- 


terial  science,  but  lack  of  communication  with 
other  peoples  keeps  them  back  in  the  intellectual 
race.  It  would  not  be  reasonable  to  doubt  the 
natural  capacity  of  these  people  is  as  great  as 
their  forefathers,  who  were  the  leaders  of  the 
marvelous  manufacturing  skill  and  commerce  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon.  The  ancient  inscriptions  show 
that  the  language  used  by  these  people,  the  Him- 
yaric,  is  entirely  different  from  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Arabic." 

Eldrisa,  who  wrote  in  the  twelfth  century, 
said  the  language  of  the  people  of  Ad  was  the 
sweetest  language  he  ever  heard. 

The  political  system  with  which  ancient  Arabia 
was  governed  was  carried  into  all  her  colonies. 
Their  cities  were  separable  municipalities,  con- 
trolled more  or  less  by  popular  influence. 

Palgrove  said :  "Oman  is  less  a  kingdom  than 
an  aggregation  of  municipalities,  each  town,  each 
village  has  its  own  separate  existence  and  gov- 
ernment, subject  to  an  ancestral  chief,  with  au- 
thority limited  by  the  rights  of  the  people  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  prerogatives  of  the  ruler  on 
the  other.  The  administration  of  justice  is  in 
the  Kadis  and  the  local  royal  judges.  Taxes  are 
fixed  by  local  or  municipal  authority,  the  sultan 
enjoys  but  cannot  change  them."  Here  we  have 
the  remains  of  the  ancient  system  of  the  Ara- 
bian Cushites,  which  regulates  the  affairs  of  all 
the  colonies  it  brought  into  being — the  Ionian, 
Greek  and  Roman;  the  civilization  of  Carthage, 
and  the  Berbers  in  Northern  Africa." 

171 


Hi  D  Dies  of 

Each  tribe  had  its  sheik,  elected  by  the  people, 
distinguished  by  a  noble  lineage,  but  having 
no  hereditary  claim  as  ruler,  he  might  be  de- 
posed. He,  with  the  elders,  decided  disputes. 

In  the  southwest  of  Arabia,  are  the  red  man, 
the  Humarites  or  Sabeans,  the  Ethiopean  ances- 
tors of  the  Egyptians  and  Phoenicians.  From 
remotest  times  they  were  a  highly  civilized  peo- 
ple, acquainted  with  letters,  maintaining  constant 
communication  with  Abyssinia  and  India. 

The  Humaritian  dialect  still  survives  in  the 
Mabra  district.  The  old  worship  consisted 
chiefly  in  three  hundred  and  sixty  idols,  set  up 
round  the  black  stone  which  was  taken  to  Mecca. 
They  worshiped  the  stars.  Their  Alledi  is  a  god 
victorious  over  the  other  gods,  just  as  the  Jewish 
Jehovah  triumphed  over  Baal. 

In  the  Madian  Mountains  in  Arabia,  are  min- 
eral deposits  of  various  kinds ;  heaps  of  remains 
found  here  and  there  give  evidence  of  exten- 
sive workings  in  ancient  times.  The  hills  con- 
tain iron  ore,  copper,  silver,  and  gold.  At  Mus- 
kat,  in  Oman,  is  an  extensive  bay,  that  furnished 
harbor,  in  ancient  times,  to  large  shipping1  in- 
terests. 

On  the  sandstone  face  of  the  Nujed  Moun- 
tains are  very  ancient  inscriptions,  in  Arabic  and 
Aremuenian,  with  figures  of  camels,  goats,  and 
other  animals. 

On  both  sides  of  the  Red  Sea,  in  ancient 
times,  dwelt  the  Red  Men,  who,  migrating  north, 
became  Phoenicians  and  Egyptians.  From  the 

172 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

color  of  the  people,  the  sea  obtained  its  ancient 
name. 

The  Arabian  believes  himself  to  be  a  son  of 
patience.  Gentle  toward  women  and  children, 
he  reserves  his  wrath  for  the  strong.  He  will 
rob  and  steal,  but  a  guest  is  sacred  in  person 
and  property. 

When  differences  arise  between  neighbors, 
they  agree  to  separate,  and  each  go  his  own  way. 
In  Yemen,  are  enormous  ruins  of  ancient  cities, 
massive  structures  made  with  enormous  blocks 
of  stone,  covered  with  inscriptions  in  Himyara- 
tic  characters,  ruins  of  temples  and  palaces  that 
rivaled  in  magnificence  those  of  Tadmon,  Pal- 
myra, and  Baalbeck. 

According  to  Arabian  tradition,  Ad,  the  pri- 
meval father  and  founder  of  the  Arabians,  came 
into  the  desert  south  of  Syria,  and  built  a  large 
and  great  city,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  from 
heaven  by  reason  of  the  wickedness  of  the  Ad- 
ites. 

The  ancient  language  of  the  Adites  was  differ- 
ent from  the  Arabic.  It  has  been  found  in  Him- 
yaratic  inscriptions  in  Arabia  and  ancient  Chal- 
dea.  It  is  the  ancient  Ethiopian  now  represented 
by  some  tribes  in  Southern  Arabia  and  by  the 
Dravidians,  in  Abyssinia  and  the  upper  Egypt. 
The  ancient  people  of  Ad  were  wonderful  build- 
ers, rich  in  gold,  silver,  ivory,  copper,  and  pre- 
cious stones.  They  built  the  palaces  of  the  Ad- 
ites and  Thamondites. 

A  headland  covered  by  a  fortress  completely 

173 


Bionics  of 

conceals  Maskat,  the  capital  of  Oman.  West  of 
Muskat  is  Soha,  an  industrial  community  of 
weavers,  goldsmiths,  brazers,  blacksmiths,  the 
most  skillful  in  Arabia.  They  make  excellent 
carpets,  rugs,  cotton  goods,  and  the  most  deli- 
cate gold  and  silver  filagree  work. 

The  Arabs  of  Oman  navigated  the  seas  and 
visited  or  colonized  all  the  islands  of  Indian 
Ocean,  China,  and  Japan.  Their  fleets  were  the 
most  powerful  in  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Dhafu  was  formerly  a  populous  city.  Aden, 
built  on  an  island,  has  an  admirable  position  at 
the  foot  of  a  natural  fortress  on  the  mainland, 
and  had  two  deep,  well-sheltered  harbors.  It 
occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Adana. 
Here  are  found  vast  reservoirs  for  water,  fed  by 
an  aqueduct  from  the  interior,  capable  of  holding 
forty  thousand  tons  of  water. 

Sana,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Sabeans,  is 
destroyed,  except  the  ruin  of  a  circular  building, 
called  the  Palace  of  Belkis,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  queen  who  visited  Solomon.  Numerous 
inscriptions  found  here  and  at  Medint  et 
Bobas,  the  city  of  Brize,  have  enabled  hiero- 
glyphists  to  recover  the  history  ond  mythology 
of  the  Sabeans. 

West  of  Mareb  is  found  the  remains  of  a  dyke, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  paces  thick  at  the 
base,  upon  the  destruction  of  which,  in  ancient 
times,  the  whole  country  relapsed  into  a  desert. 

At  Moka,  which  has  long  been  a  center  of 
trade  in  coffee,  the  ruins  outnumber  the  houses. 

174 


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Prehistoric  Cime0 

Kiad  is  a  strongly  fortified  place,  with  ancient 
massive  walls,  flanked  by  lofty  towers,  and  com- 
manded by  a  citadel. 

The  oldest  cities  of  Chaldea  were  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Persian  Sea  and  Gulf  of  Ara- 
bia. Hur  is  the  oldest.  It  was  built  on  the  north 
of  the  Euphrates  River,  with  the  sea  before  it, 
and  was  the  emporium  of  trade.  Its  ruins  are 
now  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  sea. 
The  sediment  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris 
Rivers  has  built  up  that  much  land  since  the 
foundation  of  Hur.  Berosus,  a  Chaldean  priest 
of  Baal,  after  Babylon  was  conquered  by  Alex- 
ander, wrote  a  Greek  history  of  Chaldea  in  nine 
books.  He  gave  the  list  of  Chaldean  rulers, 
down  to  the  beginning  of  the  Assyrian  occupa- 
tion of  Babylon,  who  had  reigned  in  Chaldea 
four  hundred  and  thirty-two  thousand  years. 

The  tradition  of  the  settlement  of  Hur  as 
given  by  Berosus  is :  "In  the  first  year  there  ap- 
peared from  that  part  of  the  Erythean  Sea  an 
animal  destitute  of  reason,  by  name  Cannes, 
whose  body  was  like  a  fish  (a  ship)  ;  under  the 
fish's  head  he  had  another  head,  with  feet  sim- 
ilar to  a  man.  His  voice  was  articulate  and 
human.  This  being  passed  the  days  on  land 
among  men ;  he  taught  men  letters  and  sciences 
of  every  kind ;  he  taught  them  how  to  build  tem- 
ples, to  frame  laws,  and  explained  to  them  the 
rules  of  geometrical  knowledge  and  astronomy. 
He  showed  them  how  to  distinguish  the  seeds  of 
useful  plants,  and  taught  them  everything  that 

175 


Uf  00100  Ot 

could  soften  their  manners  and  harmonize  their 
lives.  When  the  sun  went  down,  he  went  back 
to  the  sea." 

This  ship,  described  as  a  sea  god,  came  from 
the  coast  of  Arabia. 

The  enlightened  Arabians,  or  Ethiopians, 
maritime  adventurers,  were  the  enlightened  mas- 
ters of  science,  the  wonderful  colonists  of  re- 
motest antiquity  who  brought  civilization  to  the 
barbarous  Semites  of  Mesopotamia.  They  came 
in,  established  colonies,  occupied  the  whole 
country,  giving  it  their  religion,  manners,  cus- 
toms, and  arts.  Even  their  language  was  modi- 
fied, and  became  the  language  of  the  country. 

The  ruins  of  Amnon  recall  the  ancient  king- 
dom of  the  Amnonites,  the  hereditary  enemies  of 
Israel.  Few  strongholds  occupy  a  more  formid- 
able position  than  this  ancient  citadel,  perched 
on  a  high  crag,  isolated  on  all  sides  except  the 
northwest ;  the  hand  of  man  completed  the  work 
of  nature. 

Zua  has  ruins  of  extensive  reservoirs.  Near 
by  are  the  ruins  of  a  palace  of  unknown  origin, 
which  the  Bedoins  call  Mashita;  the  rich  sculp- 
tures of  the  facades  are  more  varied  than  the  Al- 
hambra. 

There  are  a  number  of  ruins  in  the  country 
of  the  ancient  Moabites  which  have  yielded  treas- 
ures in  abundance  to  archaeologists.  The  most 
remarkable  was  the  Pillar  of  Niesa,  King  of 
the  Moabites,  found  in  the  midst  of  the  vast 
ruins  of  Dhibon.  This  precious  stone  is  in  the 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

Louvre.  It  bears  an  inscription  of  thirty-four 
lines,  engraved  in  characters  resembling  the 
Phoenician.  The  name  of  the  god  is  Kamish. 
At  Moab,  the  city  on  the  hill,  are  the  remains 
of  a  strong  citadel. 

Southwestward  from  Damascus,  at  Baalbec, 
the  city  of  the  sun,  are  grouped  together  the 
ruins  of  the  grandest  set  of  buildings  in  all  the 
world.  These  consist  of  the  temple  of  the  Sun, 
the  temple  of  Jupiter,  and  Cyclopean  walls.  The 
beholder  is  struck  with  amazement  at  the  enor- 
mous blocks  of  stone  which  the  hand  of  man  has 
here  erected.  These  ruins  are  unrivaled  for  their 
vast  dimensions.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  how 
such  large  blocks  could  have  been  placed  where 
they  are  seen,  built  into  the  walls  stone  seventy- 
five  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  as  deep,  and 
weighing  one  thousand  tons.  One  stone  lying 
in  the  quarry,  half  a  mile  away,  has  in  it  fifteen 
thousand  cubic  feet.  Another  rejected  stone  in 
another  quarry  is  ninety-eight  feet  long. 

The  most  remarkable  edifice  in  Babylon  was 
the  temple  of  Bel.  It  was  a  pyramid  of  eight 
square  stories,  the  lower  stage  being  six  hun- 
dred feet  square.  A  winding  ascent  of  steps  led 
to  the  summit,  and  the  shrine,  in  which  stood  a 
golden  image  of  Bel,  forty  feet  high.  Two 
other  images  of  gold,  a  golden  table,  fifteen  feet 
wide  and  forty  feet  long,  and  many  other  golden 
objects  were  gathered  here.  At  the  base  of  the 
tower  was  a  second  shrine,  with  a  table  and  two 

177 


of 

images  of  gold.  A  golden  altar  was  placed  out- 
side the  temple. 

Baal,  or  Bel,  the  Sun  God,  was  thought  to  be 
the  productive  power,  together  with  Astarte,  the 
moon.  The  bull  is  his  symbol.  Offerings  were 
made  to  him  of  incense,  sacrifices  of  bulls,  and 
sometimes  children.  The  favorite  places  of  wor- 
ship were  elevated  places,  hilltops  or  the  roofs  of 
houses.  His  worship,  as  well  as  that  of  Ashte- 
roth,  was  attended  with  most  revolting  orgies 
and  sacrifices. 

Tadmon,  Palmyra,  the  ancient  city  of  the 
Palmes,  contains  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  temple. 
It  is  a  city  of  colonnades. 

South  and  southeast  of  Damascus  are  ruins 
of  hundreds  of  structures  in  which  columns  of 
triumphal  arches  and  tombs  break  the  monotony 
of  the  flat,  desert-like  plains.  West  of  the  Ha- 
rain,  are  abandoned  cities  and  groups  of  build- 
ings, with  carved  stone  doorways ;  here  and  there 
even  the  roofs  are  still  in  place.  The  ruins  of 
Shabba  are  found  at  Kanovat  and  Suideh,  two 
small  hamlets,  surrounded  by  stupendous  ruins. 
Bosra  presents  the  appearance  of  an  important 
city,  having  a  massive  Arabian  citadel,  with  im- 
posing ramparts,  and  a  theatre. 

Triumphal  arches,  porticos,  and  palatial  re- 
mains are  grouped  in  uninhabited  wastes,  where 
a  few  wretched  Bedouin  hovels  are  overshad- 
owed by  the  remains  of  a  superb  cathedral.  West 
of  Basa,  the  ancient  Edrie,  is  an  extensive  un- 
derground city,  cut  in  the  live  rock.  West  of 

178 


prehistoric  Cfmeg 

this,  overlooking  the  east  bank  of  the  Jordan,  is 
Mikris,  the  ancient  Gadara,  which  still  preserves 
one  of  those  straight  avenues  or  colonnades  fre- 
quently met  with  in  so  many  ancient  Cushite 
places.  Jerash,  next  to  Palmyra,  has  one  of  the 
best  preserved  avenues,  with  a  surrounding  fo- 
rum. The  avenue  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
long,  lined  with  over  two  hundred  pillars. 

Beyond  this,  south  of  Moab,  stretches  the  re- 
mains of  the  ancient  cities  of  Edom. 

Petra,  the  city  of  stone,  was  capital  of  this 
region  in  the  earliest  times;  it  was  cut  into  the 
rock.  Temples  with  their  facades  are  cut  into 
the  red  cliff,  while  the  rock  everywhere  is  carved 
into  towers  and  palaces,  superimposed  one  above 
another. 

The  remains  of  Banas,  the  city  of  the  god  Pan, 
was  famous  for  its  proud  citadel  above  the  Jor- 
dan, from  which  the  victims  immolated  on  the 
sacrificial  altar  were  hurled. 

Akka,  the  ancient  Phoenician  city,  was  nat- 
urally strong  against  an  attack  of  enemies,  which 
natural  fortification  was  supplemented  by  ma- 
sonry. It  had  a  fine  harbor,  now  silted  up. 

Herodotus  said  that  the  ruin  of  Lydia  has 
not  many  wonders,  except  the  gold  dust  brought 
from  Mount  Timolus.  It  has,  however,  one  of 
the  greatest  mounds,  surpassed  only  by  those  of 
the  Egyptians  and  Babylonians,  the  tomb  of  Al- 
yatees,  the  foundation  of  which  is  great  stones. 
The  rest  of  it  is  a  mound  of  earth.  The  circum- 
ference of  the  mound  is  six  stradia  and  two  ple- 

179 


of 

thra ;  the  breadth  is  thirteen  plethra,  which  makes 
the  circumference  three  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty  feet.  The  size  of  the  great  pyramid 
in  Egypt  is  seven  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet 
on  each  side,  three  thousand  and  fifty-six  around 
it;  so  the  tomb  of  Alyatta  is  nearly  one- fourth 
larger.  At  the  summit  are  found  the  remains 
of  a  foundation  eighteen  feet  square. 

The  work  thus  described  in  1853  by  Crustius 
to  the  Berlin  Academy:  "On  the  southern  side 
of  the  mound  may  be  traced  the  road  to  lime- 
stone quarries,  where  the  stone  was  procured  for 
the  construction  of  the  tumulus.  The  ground 
was  prepared  for  the  structure  by  leveling  the 
bed  of  native  rock  and  by  building  a  foundation 
wall  of  stone.  On  the  base  thus  obtained  a 
sloping,  retaining  wall  had  been  built  of  hewn 
stone,  built  up  to  the  height  of  sixty  feet.  The 
height  of  the  mound  measured  two  hundred  and 
twenty-six  and  three-quarters  feet  from  the  base 
of  the  wall.  The  diameter  of  the  level  of  the 
plain  is  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-six 
feet,  and  the  base  of  the  retaining  wall  one  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet.  On  the 
summit  was  found  the  round  stone,  nine  and  one- 
half  feet  in  diameter,  spoken  of  by  Herodotus." 

The  Taurigs,  or  Tauriks,  a  people  supposed 
to  be  of  the  Berber  race,  are  descended,  accord- 
ing to  their  own  traditions,  from  men  who  came 
from  Canaan.  They  are  of  a  white  race,  though 
of  dark  complexion,  have  straight  hair,  and  bear 
no  resemblance  to  the  negro.  The  Tibboos,  who 

180 


Cfmes 

occupy  the  desert  between  Fezzan  and  Egypt, 
are  supposed  to  be  of  the  same  race.  The  num- 
ber of  Taurigs  is  supposed  to  be  two  millions. 

The  people  of  Tunis  speak  an  Arabic  dialect. 
They  resemble  the  Bedouins  of  Arabia.  There 
are  many  ancient  ruins  in  different  parts  of 
Tunis,  particularly  in  the  valley  of  the  Mejerda. 
At  Dakkah  and  ancient  Thugga  are  temples  and 
theatres,  bearing  many  inscriptions.  The  great 
aqueduct,  which  conveyed  the  water  fifty-two 
miles  to  Carthage,  can  still  be  traced,  some  re- 
maining portions  rising  to  the  height  of  fifty-two 
feet.  The  ancient  city  of  Tunis  was  surrounded 
by  a  double  wall,  five  miles  in  circuit,  defended 
by  a  castle  which  commanded  the  approach  from 
the  sea. 

In  Tyre,  the  burial  places  testify  to  the  ex- 
istence and  size  of  the  ancient  city.  Most  of  the 
tombs  are  rock-cut  and  subterranean.  They  gen- 
erally contain  more  than  one  chamber ;  recesses 
are  cut  in  the  sides,  to  contain  embalmed  bodies 
in  coffins. 

The  Phoenicians  called  their  land  Kna,  which 
means  lowland.  The  oldest  city,  Sidon,  was  built 
on  a  promontory.  The  Phoenicians  became  pi- 
rates, and  engaged  in  slave  trade.  They  con- 
cealed the  places  where  they  traded  from  others. 
They  went  in  search  of  tin  and  amber,  and  they 
procured  gold  from  the  island  of  Thases.  They 
were  the  first  to  apply  astronomy  to  navigation. 

The  tomb  at  Sarda  was  built  of  large,  dressed 
stone,  the  corpse  being  placed  on  a  stone  couch, 

181 


of 

and  the  entrance  was  sealed  by  a  marble  slab. 
Over  the  tomb  was  a  mound  of  earth.  The 
chamber  was  not  in  the  center  of  the  mound,  but 
was  placed  to  one  side.  The  roof  was  of  stone 
beams.  There  was  found  on  a  stone  couch  a 
skeleton,  a  few  jars  and  vessels.  There  were 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  such  mounds. 

The  Temple  of  the  Moon  God,  at  Ur,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  buildings  in  that  country.  A  king  who 
seems  to  have  been  the  first  Chaldean  builder 
adorned  Erich,  Nipur,  Lausa,  and  other  cities 
with  temples  of  vast  size,  dedicated  to  the  Sun, 
to  Istar,  and  to  Bel.  It  was  under  him  that  Ur 
rose  to  its  prominent  position. 


182 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

In  the  pastoral  state  the  flocks  were  the  prop- 
erty of  the  tribe  as  a  whole,  under  the  control 
of  the  sheik,  or  chief ;  scarce  any  individual  prop- 
erty was  owned,  the  necessity  of  frequent  re- 
movals preventing  the  accumulation  of  house- 
hold treasures.  Each  community  was  a  group 
of  kindred,  under  the  leadership  of  the  patri- 
archal representative  of  the  common  ancestor. 
This  leadership  was  not  by  any  means  an  abso- 
lute control.  The  separate  households  were  suf- 
ficiently independent  to  have  a  sense  of  personal 
freedom.  Religion  was  also  communistic. 
There  appears  to  be  no  distinctive  trace  of  any 
defined  family  worship;  a  tribal  ancestor  wor- 
ship prevailed,  akin  to  Shamamism,  with  incan- 
tations for  protection  against  the  demons.  Sor- 
cery was  the  principal  belief,  represented  by  the 
Senute  Shaman,  the  Babylonian  magician,  the 
sorcerer,  and  the  American  medicine  man;  the 
leader  frequently  assumed  the  power  of  sorcery, 
to  add  to  his  dignity  as  representative  of  the 
tribal  ancestor.  A  nomadic  pastoral  tribe  was 
an  organized  army,  with  the  patriarchial  head 
and  clan  or  family  leaders,  to  whom  all  members 
were  willingly  subordinate. 

Migrations  were  frequent.  There  was  noth- 
ing to  prevent  a  swift  invasion  of  a  country  in 
possession  of  another  people,  settlement  of  the 
land  in  case  of  victory,  speedy  retreat  in  case  of 
defeat.  It  was  this  faculty  that  led  to  the  mil- 
itary political  organization  of  the  early  patri- 
archial empires,  the  Hebrew,  the  Chinese.  The 


RiDDle0  of 

leader  was  the  father  of  the  nation,  the  high 
priest  of  its  religion,  the  hereditary  representa- 
tive of  the  primal  ancestor  of  the  people.  He 
had  both  temporal  and  spiritual  powers.  The 
bodies  and  souls  of  the  people  were  under  his 
dominion ;  he  was  only  the  intermediator  between 
the  people  and  the  heavenly  powers.  He  was 
answerable  to  his  ancestors,  the  gods,  for  his 
deeds,  and  it  was  sacrilege  to  question  his  com- 
mands. 


184 


m  • 


THEY  WERE  NOMADIC  HUNTERS  AND  HERDSMEN  WAND- 
ERING OVER  EXTENSIVE  TERRITORIES  IN  SEARCH 
OF  PASTURE  AND  GAME. 

(Kiddles  of  Prehistoric   Times.— p.  185) 


Prehistoric  Cimes 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ARYANS. 

There  was  a  time  in  the  long  distant  past  when 
there  wandered  over  the  vast  plains  of  Northern 
Central  Europe,  the  ancestors  of  the  Teutons, 
Russians,  Swedes,  Norwegians,  Danes,  English, 
French,  Scotch,  Irish,  Greeks,  Romans,  the  in- 
habitants of  Asia  Minor,  Persian,  Afghanistan, 
Beloochistan,  Hindustan,  and  India;  a  tribe  of 
people  separate  and  distinct  from  the  Mongo- 
lian, the  Semite,  and  the  Iberian  races,  with 
which  they  came  in  contact.  They  were  the 
Aryans.  They  were  athletic,  energetic,  and  cour- 
ageous with  physical  vigor,  vital  force,  and  ca- 
pacity for  endurance  greater  than  any  other  peo- 
ple on  earth.  They  had  the  will  to  undertake 
great  enterprises,  and  an  imagination  which  en- 
nobled their  practical  ideas.  They  had  a  love  of 
individual  liberty,  and  a  keen  sense  of  honor  and 
of  fidelity  to  their  friends.  It  was  these  men 
who  were  the  migrating  and  aggressive  race. 
They  dominated  all  people  with  whom  they  came 
in  contact.  In  battle  they  fought  with  frenzy, 
energy,  and  zeal,  actuated  by  the  idea  that  if 
they  were  slain  in  battle,  they  were  immediately 

185 


of 

taken  by  the  Valkyries  to  Valkal,  the  abode  of 
Odin.  They  were  generally  successful  in  con- 
flict; when  once  they  obtained  a  foothold  there 
they  remained. 

The  Aryans  had  no  system  of  writing  and  left 
no  records  of  their  history  or  lives;  not  even 
the  remains  of  their  habitations  exist.  They 
moved  about  from  place  to  place,  making  tem- 
porary habitations,  taking  with  them  their  herds 
and  flocks.  But  it  has  been  possible  to  learn 
much  of  their  lives  of  these  ancient  people  who 
exerted  such  a  potent  influence  upon  subsequent 
peoples  on  earth. 

The  thoughts  which  come  into  the  minds  of 
men  are  wonderful  things.  "As  a  man  thinketh, 
so  is  he."  The  thoughts  of  men  are  important 
factors  in  their  lives;  the  act  follows  the  trend 
of  the  ideas  which  have  been  harbored  in  their 
minds.  Words  indicate  thoughts,  and  when  it 
is  known  what  words  a  man  uses,  a  fair  esti- 
mate may  be  had  of  the  man  and  his  character. 

By  careful  study  of  all  the  different  peoples 
who  are  descended  from  these  ancient  Aryans, 
and  by  comparison  of  words  and  word  roots  in 
the  different  countries  and  languages,  now  in- 
habited by  such  descendants,  in  Europe,  Asia, 
men  have  been  able  to  sift  out  about  one  thou- 
sand words  which  are  common  to  all,  words 
which  those  who  migrated  carried  with  them  in 
their  wanderings.  By  patient  study  of  these 
words,  the  thoughts,  the  social  conditions  and 

186 


Pteftfstoric  Ctmes 

religious  ideas  of  this  people  have  been  ascer- 
tained. 

They  were  nomadic  hunters  and  herdsmen, 
wandering  over  extensive  territories  in  search 
of  pasture  and  game.  They  used  wagons  drawn 
by  oxen.  In  summer  they  lived  in  huts  built 
of  branches  of  trees,  tied  together  at  the  top 
and  thatched  over  with  grass  and  tree  branches. 
In  winter  they  gathered  into  villages,  and  con- 
structed their  houses  over  circular  pits  dug  into 
the  ground,  roofed  over  with  branches  of  trees, 
and  covered  with  sod  and  mud.  They  made  use 
of  fire,  and  had  an  opening  at  the  top,  for  the  es- 
cape of  smoke. 

They  had  doors,  but  had  no  windows,  there 
being  words  for  doors  but  none  for  windows. 
They  clothed  themselves  in  skins  of  animals, 
which  they  sewed  together  with  bone  needles, 
using  sinews  for  thread.  They  spun  and  made 
cloth,  and  they  fashioned  pottery.  They  do- 
mesticated the  cow,  the  horse,  the  goat,  dog, 
and  sheep.  They  used  milk,  and  made  cheese 
and  butter.  Their  property  was  principally  in 
flocks  and  herds,  the  ox  being  the  unit  of  value 
in  their  commercial  transactions.  They  occu- 
pied an  extensive  region  of  country.  Their  sys- 
tem of  notation  was  digital,  the  word  for  five 
signified  a  hand;  they  could  count  to  one  hun- 
dred. They  had  no  word  for  thousand;  they 
had  words  for  day  and  night,  oak,  pine,  beech, 
aspen,  maple,  apple,  and  cherry  trees. 

Their  earliest  shrine  was  the  oak  tree,  upon 


UiDDlcs  of 

which  they  hung  charms  and  talismen.  The 
whispering  of  the  wind  through  the  leaves  was 
the  voice  of  the  spirits,  which  could  be  inter- 
preted by  their  conjurers  and  sorcerers.  They 
believed  in  magic  and  in  the  power  of  magi- 
cians who  could  bless  or  curse. 

They  had  no  common  word  for  cat,  ass,  or 
camel,  elephant,  lion,  tiger,  or  creatures  un- 
known in  North  Central  Europe.  They  used 
a  like  word  for  winter  and  for  snow.  They  had 
warm  and  cold  months.  They  divided  the 
months  into  weeks  having  names  to  the  seven 
days  in  each  week  after  the  sun,  moon,  and 
planets.  The  names  used  for  the  days  of  the 
week  have  been  followed  by  all  the  peoples 
descended  from  them  in  the  same  order. 

They  used  the  plow,  drawn  by  oxen.  The 
very  name  Aryan  signifies  a  plowman,  a  cul- 
tivator of  the  ground.  They  made  bows  of 
yew  wood,  spears  of  ash,  shields  of  twisted 
twigs.  They  used  the  rough  stone  implements, 
stones  to  throw  by  hand  and  with  a  sling, 
attaching  a  handle  to  the  stone  to  make  a  more 
effective  weapon.  They  fashioned  stone  spear 
heads  and  arrow  heads  and  stone  axes.  They 
cultivated  wheat,  rye,  barley,  cabbage,  and  peas. 
They  had  words  for  lie,  sorrow,  anger,  shame, 
trouble,  scorn ;  God,  spirit,  life,  law,  and  custom. 

They  practiced  sacrifice,  even  of  human  be- 
ings. They  had  a  system  of  marriage.  The 
family  at  first  was  a  community,  and  after- 
wards the  clan.  The  home  of  the  clan  was  in 

188 


Cirne* 

villages,  the  circular  huts  built  around  an  open 
space;  a  family  to  each  hut.  Each  head  of  a 
family  was  a  freeman,  and  equal  in  all  respects 
to  the  others.  Sometimes,  when  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  enemies,  they  built  their  villages  in 
a  deep  wood  or  swamp,  or  on  top  of  a  hill,  or 
fortified  it  round  about  with  earthwork. 

In  the  village  each  householder  was  equal  in 
right  with  the  others,  a  freeman  entitled  to  an 
equal  voice  in  council  and  to  vote  for  the  head- 
man. The  village  community  held  the  right  of 
domain  to  the  lands.  Each  village  had  three 
interests  in  land  to  provide  and  protect.  First: 
the  domestic  use  of  the  lands  for  each  family 
of  the  house  or  hut  occupied  by  them;  second: 
the  pastoral  use  of  the  lands  equally  free  to  the 
use  of  all;  and,  third:  the  agricultural  use  for 
the  purposes  of  individual  cultivation. 

The  village  plots  were  divided  into  house 
lots,  and  became  the  absolute  and  exclusive 
property  of  the  heads  of  the  families.  Every 
man's  house  was  his  stronghold,  over  which  he 
could  claim  absolute  dominion;  no  one  else 
had  any  right  there  except  by  his  consent.  The 
pasture  lands  were  held  in  common. 

The  agricultural  lands  were  redivided  among 
the  heads  of  the  families  each  for  fifty  years. 
Each  village  had  its  village  god,  the  ancestor 
of  the  families  comprising  the  village.  When 
the  village  expanded  to  the  clan,  the  common 
ancestor  of  the  clan  became  the  clan  god.  De- 
parted ancestors  were  buried  close  to  the  house, 


RID  Dies  of 

sometimes  beneath  the  hearthstones,  thereafter  a 
sacred  spot.  The  household  meal  was  the  time 
for  worship.  The  spirits  of  departed  an- 
cestors had  a  place  at  the  board,  and  a  portion 
of  the  food  was  set  apart  for  the  deceased  an- 
cestor, who  partook  only  of  the  essence,  the  food 
itself  being  consumed  afterwards  by  the  head 
of  the  household,  which  was  the  beginning  of 
sacrifice.  These  people  worshiped  a  line  of  an- 
cestors three  back,  and  no  more,  unless  the  dead 
ancestor  was  interred  at  the  house  under  the 
hearthstone,  or  in  the  village  of  the  clan,  where 
it  remained  an  object  of  worship  for  a  longer 
time.  This  worship  of  ancestors  had  such  a  hold 
on  the  imagination  of  the  people  that  it  was 
hard  to  get  any  recognition  of  any  other  myth- 
ology or  religion  or  god ;  it  was  effective  in  pre- 
venting the  formation  of  a  priesthood. 

These  people  had  a  vivid  imagination,  and 
were  impressed  by  the  powers  of  nature ;  their 
efforts  to  explain  of  what  they  saw  caused  them 
to  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  what  they  ob- 
served was  the  work  of  powerful  and  intelli- 
gent beings,  the  gods  of  heaven  and  earth.  The 
dawn  sent  her  bright  beams  over  the  earth,  and 
was  speedily  pursued  by  the  sun.  In  winter 
the  earth  mourned  for  the  dead  summer,  which 
slept  in  the  cold  mist  guarded  by  a  serpent. 
They  deified  first,  above  all  objects  of  venera- 
tion, the  broad,  overarching  sky  as  the  father 
god,  Varuna,  the  object  of  their  highest  rever- 

190 


Prehistoric  Cfmes 

ence.  They  worshiped  the  sun,  but  as  a  subor- 
dinate to  Varuna. 

The  spirit  of  evil  was  their  dead  enemy.  Night 
was  a  demon,  and  the  name  of  which  was  a 
biting  serpent.  They  believed  witches  and  evil 
spirits  held  high  carnival  in  the  woods  at  night, 
which  was  always  dangerous. 

They  had  instrumental  music.  They  hunted 
animals.  They  cooked  meats.  They  had  ducks 
and  geese,  but  did  not  have  fish.  They  made 
yeast  and  bread.  In  war  their  principal  weapon 
was  the  battle-axe.  They  also  used  a  sword,  a 
club,  and  a  spear,  the  bow  and  arrow.  They  had 
a  shield  and  helmet. 

The  distinctiveness  of  the  Aryan  system  lay 
in  the  development  of  the  family  and  clan  sys- 
tem, and  in  the  hearth  worship  of  deceased  an- 
cestors. Each  house  was  a  temple,  each  hearth- 
stone an  altar.  Each  housefather  was  the  priest, 
each  family  a  congregation  with  its  own  private 
deity  and  ritual.  The  Aryan  housefather  was  a 
freeman.  It  was  not  possible  for  any  ruler  to 
shackle  his  mind  or  soul.  He  maintained  his 
personal  freedom  as  the  representative  on  earth 
of  his  dead  ancestors  to  whom  he  was  responsi- 
ble. 

In  the  beginning  these  ancient  Aryans  dwelt 
long  and  preaceably  together.  As  time  passed 
increasing  numbers  made  it  necessary  for  the 
younger  members  to  seek  pastures  new.  Im- 
pelled by  the  necessity  for  food  for  their  grow- 
ing families  and  flocks,  and  by  love  of  adventure 


HiDDIcs  of 

and  enterprise  they  swarmed  like  bees  from  the 
parent  hive  and  spread  into  the  surrounding1 
lands.  Into  Asia  Minor  went  the  Pelasgians, 
lonians,  Dorians,  the  Cappoadoceans,  the  Phyr- 
gians,  and  Armenians,  following  one  another  and 
encountering  the  Iberian  inhabitants  who  had 
heretofore  occupied  the  lands  in  Asia  Minor, 
Greece,  the  Islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
Italy ;  into  Caucassia  and  Persia,  where  they  en- 
countered the  Semtic  and  Cushite  or  Arabic  civ- 
ilizations; into  Chaldea,  Mesopotamia,  Babylon, 
Afghanistan,  Hindostan,  down  into  the  fertile 
plains  of  India,  where  they  encountered  and 
overwhelmed  the  Dravadians. 

Some  of  them,  the  Teutons,  went  westward. 
The  Celts  and  Gauls  went  into  Denmark,  Bel- 
gium, France,  and  the  British  Islands ;  some  into 
Sweden  and  Norway.  At  the  Northeast  they  en- 
countered the  Finns  and  Mongols. 

The  aggressive  migrating  spirit  of  the  Aryan 
people  caused  them  to  overrun  and  overwhelm 
all  other  people  with  whom  they  came  in  con- 
tact. They  overcame  them,  imposed  upon  them 
their  manners,  their  customs  and  their  lan- 
guage. By  intermarriages  they  caused  the 
growth  of  a  mixed  race. 

Their  course  was  like  that  pursued  by  the 
Northmen  in  France,  England,  Scotland,  Ire- 
land, and  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  one  thousand  years  ago  or  more. 

Adopting  the  civilization  of  the  people  they 
conquered,  they  applied  it  to  their  own  strenu- 

192 


Ctmes 

ous  natures,  and  evolved  a  high-grade  character, 
with  an  activity  in  their  enterprises  never  before 
exhibited.  They  builded  their  civilization  on 
strong  and  enduring  foundations. 

In  Aryan  communities  there  are  distinctive 
traces  of  ideas  of  private  and  separate  owner- 
ship and  sacredness  of  the  home  is  a  character- 
istic of  all. 

The  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  civilizations 
had  their  gens  or  village  system  with  community 
ownership  of  lands.  Such  was  the  case,  too,  in 
India ;  Calcutta  is  but  an  aggregation  of  a  num- 
ber of  village  communities.  The  Celts  had  the 
same  characteristics  of  village  communities  and 
community  ownership.  The  Irish  Sept  and  the 
Scottish  Clans  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  same 
ideas.  In  France  there  was  the  same  condition 
of  affairs  in  some  parts  of  it.  The  ancient  Teu- 
tonic groups  of  agricultural  families  held  a  well- 
defined  tract  of  land  in  common,  divided  into  the 
Village  mark — the  common  mark  or  pastureland 
and  the  arable  mark  or  agricultural  land.  The 
common  was  held  for  pasturage  and  for  obtain- 
ing firewood,  the  wooded  region  for  the  hunter 
and  the  temple  of  the  people  which  was  the 
home  of  the  goblins  and  spirits.  Here  dwelt 
Odin,  the  spirit  of  the  tree  God,  and  the  God 
of  the  wind  and  tempests.  The  village  mark  was 
divided  into  house  and  garden  plots,  the  sole 
property  of  the  householder  and  family  occupy- 
ing it.  At  the  boundry  between  the  village 
marks,  the  market  was  held.  The  Aryans  in 

193 


of 

Asia  seem  to  have  been  the  Armenians,  the 
Persians,  the  Carduchi,  the  Chaldeans,  the 
Babylonians,  the  Afghans,  and  the  Hindus  of 
India. 

Aryan  migration  was  followed  by  extensive 
intermarriage  with  the  original  inhabitants  of 
the  conquered  countries.  Instead  of  annihilating 
or  dispossessing  them,  they  subjugated  and 
amalgamated  with  the  people,  occupying  the  con- 
quered territory,  making  changes  in  size,  com- 
plexion and  disposition  of  the  children. 

This  ancient  Aryan  people  lived  and  flourished 
in  their  original  habitat  for  ages  before  the  last 
glacial  period  in  the  northern  hemisphere,  which 
began  240,000  years  ago,  and  lasted  160,000 
years.  Then  the  northern  hemisphere  became 
more  temperate  in  climate,  the  eccentricity  of 
the  earth's  orbit  around  the  sun  having  become 
much  less  and  the  earth  and  its  northern  hemi- 
sphere getting  all  the  while  a  greater  supply  of 
heat  from  the  sun.  There  appears  to  have  been 
warm  intervals  while  the  glacial  period  lasted. 

Heredotus  says  that  Etruria  was  first  settled 
by  a  body  of  Lydians  who  named  the  country 
Tyrena.  Thucydides  identifies  this  people  with 
the  Pelasgians.  They  worked  silver  mines  in 
Thrace.  At  Caere  is  to  be  found  an  ancient  tomb, 
Pelasgic  in  structure. 

At  Volaterrae,  Italy,  are  massive  walls,  four  of 
five  miles  in  circuit,  which  stand  on  a  bare  height 
visible  for  miles  around.  Though  considerably 
inland,  Volaterrae  is  said  to  have  supplied  tackle 

194 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

and  other  gear  for  Scipio's  fleet,  from  which  it 
would  appear  she  had  been  a  maritime  port. 

The  original  Aryans  worshiped  as  a  supreme 
object  of  veneration  the  arching  heavens;  the  sun 
was  a  subordinate  deity.  The  Semites  worshiped 
the  sun  as  supreme,  as  in  Egypt,  Arabia,  and  In- 
,  dit.  In  some  inexplicable  way  the  worship  of  the 
serpent  as  the  emblem  of  wisdom  grew  up;  in 
the  worship  of  Baal  and  Aethiops  this  was  very 
prominent.  It  was  after  the  contact  with  these 
ideas  that  the  ancient  Cyclops,  the  Pelasgians 
builders,  became  scattered  and  carried  their 
ideas  as  mound  builders,  to  North  America,  as 
Toltecs  to  Mexico  and  Central  America,  and  as 
Pirunas  to  Peru ;  in  all  of  which  the  worship  of 
the  sun  in  connection  with  the  veneration  of  the 
serpent  is  made  manifest  in  the  ruins  of  their 
works. 


KtDDle*  of 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MYSTICS    AND    ZOROASTRIANS. 

There  were  two  races  in  India  which  as  far 
back  as  can  be  ascertained,  contended  for  the 
land.  One  was  a  fair-skinned  race  of  Aryan 
stock;  the  other,  a  dark-skinned  race,  who  pos- 
sessed the  land  anterior  to  the  arrival  of  the  in- 
vaders. The  original  race  left  no  records;  let- 
ters were  not  known  to  them.  The  only  work  of 
their  hands  is  the  rude  stone  circles,  the  upright 
stones  and  the  mounds  in  which  they  buried 
their  dead.  They  made  hard,  round  pots  of 
earthenware.  They  fought  with  iron  weapons, 
and  had  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver.  Long  be- 
fore their  advent  in  India,  it  was  peopled  with 
tribes  not  acquainted  with  metals,  who  warred 
and  hunted  with  polished  flint  axes  and  other 
implements  of  stone  similar  to  those  found  in 
Northern  Europe.  These  latter  had  been  pre- 
ceded by  men  who  had  agate  knives  and  rough 
stone  implements. 

Aryan  history  is  mentioned  in  the  Rig  Veda, 
an  ancient  composition  of  1,017  poems,  in  which 
these  people  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus  River 
are  divided  into  tribes.  The  chief  was  the  pa- 

196 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

triarch  of  the  tribe,  whose  title  was  Vis  Pati. 
Each  housefather  was  the  priest  in  his  own 
household.  The  Aryan  tribes  seem  to  have 
known  about  metals ;  they  had  blacksmiths,  gold- 
smiths, carpenters,  and  other  artisans.  They 
fought  in  chariots  and  used  the  horse.  They 
had  become  tillers  of  the  soil,  used  ploughs  and 
lived  in  vilages.  Cattle  was  the  principal  wealth. 

They  built  boats,  made  beer,  ate  beef,  and 
offered  sacrifices  to  the  gods.  Their  divinities, 
the  shining  ones,  were  the  great  powers  of  na- 
ture— Indria,  the  watery  vapor  which  caused  the 
rain;  Agni,  the  god  of  Fire;  Maruts,  the  Storm 
Gods;  Ushas,  the  Dawn;  the  Sun,  Surzya;  the 
wind,  Vayu.  Rudia,  who  became  Siva  of  the 
Hindus,  the  destroyer,  was  the  God  of  the  roar- 
ing tempest.  Vishnu,  the  preserver,  was  the 
deity  of  the  firmament.  They  did  not  understand 
the  art  of  writing;  hymns  were  handed  down  by 
word  of  mouth  from  father  to  son.  Those  who 
could  best  recite  had  the  most  influence,  and 
entered  the  priesthood. 

The  Brahmans  formed  the  learned  class,  and 
their  worship  was  founded  on  the  power  of 
prayer  and  sacrifices.  They  directed  the  cere- 
monies at  the  temples ;  they  cast  horoscopes,  and 
executed  magical  incantations  and  charms. 

Light  of  complexion,  they  were,  with  wide 
forehead,  thin  lips,  expressive  mouth,  keen  eyes, 
impressive  countenance,  and  noble  carriage,  the 
noblest-appearing  men  on  earth. 

The  predecessors  of  the  Sanscrit  people  were 

197 


BiDDIcs  of 

Hamitic.  Their  religious  symbols  were  dragons, 
serpents,  and  the  like,  peculiar  to  the  Cushites. 
Siva,  a  Cushite  divinity,  mentioned  in  the  Rig 
Veda,  and  the  Phallic  worship,  preceded  the 
Aryans  in  India.  The  serpent  was  regarded  by 
these  people  as  a  symbol  of  intelligence,  of  im- 
mortality, of  protection  against  the  power  of 
evil  spirits,  of  the  renewal  of  life  and  of  the 
healing  powers  of  nature. 

On  the  Island  of  Elephantine,  between  Bom- 
bay and  the  main  land,  are  remarkable  ruins. 
A  colossal  statue  of  an  elephant,  cracked  and 
mutilated,  lies  near  a  cave,  the  entrance  to  which 
is  60  feet  wide  and  18  feet  high,  supported  by 
pillars  cut  out  of  rock.  On  the  sides  of  the  cave 
are  numerous  compartments.  In  the  center  of 
the  excavation  is  a  bust  thought  to  represent 
the  Hindu  Triad  Brahma,  the  creator;  Vishnu, 
the  preserver,  and  Siva,  the  destroyer.  The 
heads  are  six  feet  long,  and  one  of  the  figures 
hold  a  cobra. 

At  Sanshree,  India,  there  is  a  circle  of  stones, 
the  upright  posts  being  roughly  squared,  and 
joined  together  at  the  top  by  an  architrave  of 
stone.  The  same  thickness  of  the  posts  is  re- 
peated at  Stonehenge.  It  has  three  stone  rails 
between  the  uprights.  At  Amvavati,  India,  there 
are  a  great  many  small  stone  circles  of  unhewn 
stone. 

In  Algeria,  Africa,  are  to  be  found  a  number 
of  stones,  and  circles  in  which  the  floors  are 
paved  with  stone.  The  mounds  are  made  of 

198 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

regular  masonry.  On  the  principal  stones  are 
letters,  the  meaning  of  which  is  unknown. 

Some  of  the  hill  tribes  in  India  continues  still 
to  erect  standing  stones;  stones  supporting  oth- 
ers are  placed  on  top  of  them,  resembling  those 
found  in  Europe. 

In  the  Darnakota  district,  India,  are  found 
numerous  circles  formed  of  undressed  stones 
like  those  at  Stonehenge. 

The  underground  Temple  at  Ellora,  India,  are 
about  4,000  yards  long  from  north  to  south. 
They  are  excavated  in  the  west  face  of  the  cliff. 
This  work  made  necessary  the  labor  of  as  many 
hands  as  were  employed  upon  the  Pyramids  of 
Egypt.  Those  to  the  south  seem  to  be  the  old- 
est. There  are  from  thirty  to  forty  underground 
structures. 

The  Kales  is  the  most  northern  of  the  Dravi- 
dian  temples  in  India.  A  vast  monolith,  250 
feet  long,  150  feet  wide,  and  100  feet  high,  is 
supported  by  a  row  of  elephants,  lions,  and  other 
symbolical  animals  grouped  in  various  attitudes. 
The  walls  of  the  temples  are  covered  with  sculp- 
tures. 

The  A  junta  Hills  contain  caves  scarcely  less 
wonderful  than  those  of  Ellora,  but  they  are  not 
so  frequently  visited  by  reasons  of  -the  danger 
from  bees.  These  caves  are  excavated  in  the 
face  of  the  vertical  rock. 

South  of  the  Kalaji  District  is  a  space  of 
nearly  ten  miles  square,  which  contains  the  ruins 
of  granite  temples  and  palaces  of  Vijayuagai,  an 

199 


Hi D Dies  of 

old-time  Hindu  capital.  A  few  of  its  pagodas 
and  its  Cyclopean  walls,  still  remain.  In  this 
district  have  been  formed  many  specimens  of 
gold  filigree  work. 

The  Brahmans  built  up  a  definite  philosophy 
from  the  Aryan  roots  of  belief.  They  dwelt  in 
a  world  of  thought,  and  held  the  affairs  of  this 
world  as  but  temporary,  a  region  of  probation 
for  the  purification  of  the  soul.  Their  effort 
to  solve  the  mystery  of  existence  brought  out  a 
clear  conception  of  the  universe,  in  which  reason 
and  imagination  were  intimately  combined,  reach- 
ing the  conclusion  of  emanation  and  final  re- 
absorption  of  the  human  soul  into  the  spirit  of 
Deity. 

All  existence  would  end  as  it  had  begun  in 
Brahma  alone.  The  one  perfect  being  had  un- 
folded into  a  multitude  of  minor  and  imper- 
fect beings.  They  were  debased  in  the  forms 
of  animals,  men,  angels,  and  demons.  They 
were  to  be  purified  and  rendered  fit  for  re- 
absorption  by  the  life  on  earth.  Evil  deeds 
further  debased  and  made  necessary  the  reincar- 
nation of  the  soul  of  the  wicked  into  animals, 
or  into  inanimate  things  in  accordance  with  the 
degree  of  debasement.  It  must  pass  in  turn 
through  these  forms  until  it  was  fit  to  reside 
again  in  the  form  of  man ;  then  it  had  to  pass 
through  the  forms  again  and  again,  until  fit  for 
reabsorption.  The  virtues  of  self-control  and  kind- 
liness were  the  highest  of  human  attainments. 

Krishna  Vishnu,  the  black,  is  the  "preserver"  of 

200 


Prehistoric  Cimcs 

the  Hindu  triad.  In  his  physical  character  mingle 
myths  of  fire,  lightning,  storm,  of  heaven  and 
the  sun.  He  was  a  hero  invincible  in  war,  and  in 
love,  brave  and  crafty.  His  birth  was  beset  with 
peril;  King  Kansa  sought  his  life  because  he 
had  been  warned  by  a  voice  from  Heaven  that 
Krishna  would  cause  his  death.  The  child's 
parents  on  the  night  of  his  birth  removed  him 
across  the  Yamuna  and  left  him  with  a  shepherd, 
together  with  his  brother  Rjama,  the  Strong, 
who  had  also  been  saved  from  massacre.  The 
two  brothers  grew  up  among  the  shepherds 
slaying  wild  beasts  and  demons.  His  exploits  are 
recited  in  the  hymns  of  his  worship.  He  cleared 
the  land  of  monsters. 

Siva,  the  third  God  of  the  Hindu  triad,  is  the 
destroyer,  Brahma  is  the  creator,  and  Vishnu 
the  preserver.  The  Siva  worshipers  assign  to 
him  the  first  place  in  the  triad,  identifying  him 
with  creation  and  reproduction  as  well  as  de- 
struction, and  so  constitute  him  the  Supreme  be- 
ing. He  was  the  Vedas,  the  storm  God,  shoot- 
ing his  darts  of  deadly  lightning  at  the  earth. 
He  also  bestowed  remedial  herbs.  His  aspects, 
which  inspire  terror,  were  exalted  in  preference 
to  those  signifying  beneficence.  The  name  Siva, 
the  propitious,  was  used  to  propitiate,  and  later 
to  have  supplanted  the  name  of  Rudia  itself,  as 
presiding  over  reproduction.  He  is  generally 
worshiped  under  phallic  symbols,  sharing  with 
Yama  and  Varuna,  the  attributes  of  justice  and 
punishment.  He  is  represented  as  having  three 

201 


RfDDIe?  Of 

eyes  to  view  the  past,  present,  and  future.  A" 
crescent  about  the  central  eye  marks  the  months, 
a  serpent  about  his  neck  marks  the  years  and 
a  necklace  about  his  person  of  serpents  and 
skulls  represents  the  ages.  His  weapons  are  a 
trident  to  symbolize  him  as  creator,  preserver, 
and  destroyer,  a  bow  and  a  thunderbolt.  He 
carries  a  drum  shaped  like  an  hour  glass,  and  a 
noose.  His  home  is  Kailasa,  one  of  the  highest 
peaks  of  the  Himalaya. 

Kali,  the  bloody,  is  the  consort  of  Siva,  and 
Calcutta  is  her  port.  She  is  represented  as  black 
or  dark  blue,  and  the  inside  of  her  hands  are 
red.  Her  tongue,  which  protrudes,  is  red  with 
blood.  During  festivals  her  temple  at  Kalighat, 
near  Calcutta,  is  filled  with  blood. 

The  Magi,  the  priests  of  Persia,  were  versed 
in  astrology  and  practiced  divination.  The 
learned  class,  they  acquired  widespread  influ- 
ence in  public  and  private  life.  Their  power, 
indicative  of  the  hold  magic  and  sorcery  had  on 
the  superstitious  masses,  resulted  in  such  ex- 
cesses that  Zoroaster  instituted  various  reforms 
among  them. 

The  religious  doctrines,  compiled  in  the  Zend 
Avesta,  for  ages  orally  recited  by  the  Magi,  were 
composed  for  the  most  part  by  Zoroaster.  In 
it  he  taught  that  the  world  is  controlled  by  two 
spirits,  Ormazd  and  Ahriman. 

Ormazd  created  the  heavens,  the  planets,  the 
stars,  and  the  earth,  the  sun  and  light ;  Ahriman 
produced  night  and  the  dark  world,  and  peopled 

202 


Cimes 

it  with  demons,  spirits  of  evil.  The  two  have 
always  been  engaged  in  antagonistic  conflict  and 
will  continue  until  Ormazd  eventually  prevails. 
They  met  in  conflict  and  Ahriman,  defeated,  fell 
to  the  earth,  a  serpent,  and  in  serpent  form  he 
constantly  tempts  mankind.  Men,  however,  have 
the  power  to  choose  between  good  and  evil. 

The  religion  of  Zoroaster  may  be  stated  in 
three  ideas :  Purity  of  thought,  of  speech,  and 
action. 

Between  earth  and  heaven  there  is  a  bridge, 
Chinvat,  over  which  the  souls  of  the  dead  must 
pass.  On  this  bridge  the  spirits  of  the  pure  were 
led  by  Sarosh,  the  good  angel.  The  souls  of  the 
sinful,  fall  into  the  gulf  spanned  by  the  bridge 
where  they  remain,  tormented  by  the  Devas,  un- 
til resurrection  day,  then  earth  will  burn  and  all 
souls  must  pass  through  the  fire.  To  the  good 
it  will  be  as  a  warm  milk  bath,  but  the  wicked 
must  burn  three  days  and  nights,  until  the  evil 
dross  and  sin  is  burned  out,  and  they  can  be 
received  into  Heaven.  Ahriman,  and  all  his  evil 
spirits,  will  thus  be  purified  by  fire;  all  evil  will 
be  consumed,  all  darkness  will  be  banished,  and 
a  pure  light,  beautiful  and  eternal,  will  prevail. 

The  life  of  man,  bodily  and  spiritually,  was 
given  him  as  a  sacred  trust  to  be  kept  pure  and 
free  from  sin.  To  be  blessed,  man  must  do 
virtuous  deeds,  be  charitable,  be  humble,  speak 
kindly  words,  wish  good  to  others,  have  a  clean 
heart,  acquire  learning,  speak  truly,  suppress  an- 
ger, be  patient,  friendly  and  contented. 

203 


HJDDICS  of 

It  being  considered  man's  duty  to  reclaim  the 
earth,  agriculture  was  a  sacred  calling.  The 
toads  and  serpents  created  by  Ahriman  were 
to  be  destroyed  by  men;  the  extermination  of 
these  animals  was  considered  a  pious  pastime, 
in  which  the  priests  were  not  ashamed  to  en- 
gage. 

The  Zoroastrians  believed  in  the  sacredness 
of  earth,  air,  fire,  and  water,  hence  their  dead 
could  not  be  buried,  left  to  decay  in  a  sepulchral 
chamber,  burned  nor  cast  in  the  sea.  Accord- 
ingly the  bodies  were  given  over  to  the  wild 
beasts  and  carrion  birds,  exposed  on  lofty  tow- 
ers in  desert  places.  The  bones,  falling  to  earth, 
were  buried.  Later  burial  was  permitted,  but 
only  when  body  was  encased  in  wax  to  preserve 
the  ground  from  contamination. 

Magic  was  among  the  earliest  growths  of  hu- 
man thought.  The  evidence  of  its  remote  an- 
tiquity lies  in  the  evidence  of  its  presence  among 
all  races  of  mankind.  People  imagined  the 
sorcerer  had  some  mysterious  power  by  which 
he  might  bewitch.  He  might  charm  away  illness 
and  death.  Not  disease  alone,  but  all  other  af- 
fairs in  life  come  within  the  scope  of  his  power, 
storm,  thunder,  rain,  and  drought  were  subject  to 
his  control.  When  the  Spaniards  first  came  to 
America  they  found  sorcerers  in  Mexico,  Yuca- 
tan, Peru,  Brazil,  and  Guiana.  In  North 
America  sorcery  was  practiced  by  the  Indian 
medicine  men,  who  charmed  by  the  rattle  and 
drum.  In  Africa  the  conjurors  are  the  rain- 

204 


Ctmes 

makers.  They  had  fetiches  and  talismen,  who 
bring  good  fortune. 

The  civilization  of  Babylon  was  permeated 
with  a  belief  in  magical  power  of  the  conjurors 
and  socerers.  It  was  on  astrology  the  greatest 
stress  was  laid.  The  five  planets  and  the  sun 
and  moon  were  called  the  interpreters,  foretell- 
ing events  of  all  kinds.  To  the  Babylonian  as- 
trological system  belong  the  stars  of  men's  na- 
tivity, the  planetary  houses,  and  the  twelve  signs 
of  the  Zodiac. 

The  ancient  Greeks  believed  in  and  frequently 
consulted  the  oracles  of  the  gods.  The  myth 
of  Circe,  turning  the  companions  of  Odysseus 
into  swine,  shows  the  barbaric  belief  in  magical 
transformation.  They  also  believed  in  the  power 
of  the  evil  eye.  In  old  Rome  almost  every  act 
was  preceded  by  divination  of  the  sorcerers,  and 
only  undertaken  with  magical  sanction.  Egypt 
was  a  home  for  the  beliefs  in  the  magical  powers, 
in  which  invocations,  sacrifices,  and  talismen  were 
employed. 

After  their  return  from  captivity  the  Jews 
worked  out  a  system  of  magical  powers.  The 
magician  in  his  black  robe  embroidered  with 
magical  figures,  invokes  the  magical  demons  with 
which  Solomon  and  other  workers  did  wonder- 
ful things. 

The  ancient  Sanscrit  literature  is  filled  with 
ancient  magical  precepts  and  charms.  Ancient 
Hindu  magic  was  used  in  exorcism  and  formulas 
and  charms  to  cure  disease  are  early  recorded. 

205 


131DDIC0  Of 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ALONG    THE    NILE    AND    THE    EUPHRATES. 

Egypt  has  been  called  the  "Gift  of  the  Nile," 
the  land  of  mystery.  Lost  are  her  arts,  ruined 
her  pillared  halls,  silent  the  vocal  Memnon  that 
for  centuries  saluted  the  rising  sun,  yet  the  un- 
wearied sphinx  still  gazes  out  over  the  shifting 
sands  into  the  future.  Gone  are  the  hated  kings 
who  scourged  the  toilers  on  the  pyramids,  gone 
the  shepherd  usurpers  that  "knew  not  Joseph," 
gone  the  enchantress  at  whose  feet  Caesar  forgot 
honor  and  Anthony  ambition,  still  that  ancient 
monument  rises,  majestic,  above  the  gold  of  the 
desert,  unmoved  by  the  desolation  of  to-day,  the 
splendor  of  yesterday. 

The  Egyptian  gods  were  worshiped  in  triads. 
One  group  of  gods  represent  the  worship  of 
the  sun;  Ra,  the  sun,  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
group,  subdivisions  of  which  are  Mentor,  the 
rising  sun,  and  Abma,  the  setting  sun,  while 
Shu,  the  Solar  light,  is  the  son  of  Ra  and  Men- 
tor. The  most  popular  group  consists  of  Osiris, 
his  wife  Isis,  and  their  son  Horus.  Osiris  was 
identified  with  the  sun.  Sun-worship  was  the 
primitive  religion  of  the  Egyptians. 

Ra  has  been  generally  represented  as  a  hawk- 

206 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

headed  man,  bearing  on  his  head  the  sun  around 
which  the  uraeus,  a  serpent,  the  symbol  of  power, 
is  entwined.  It  is  the  ancient  sacred  serpent  of 
Egypt.  Other  emblems  of  Osiris  are  the  bull 
and  the  Phoenix. 

In  the  Eighteenth  Egyptian  Dynasty  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  abolish  all  other  religious 
worship  save  that  of  Ra,  the  only  representation 
of  which  was  the  solor  disk  with  the  uraeus  en- 
twined around  it.  Osiris  and  Ra  are  essentially 
the  good  principle,  the  light;  Set  is  the  opposite 
principle  of  darkness. 

It  was  to  Osiris  the  prayers  and  offerings  for 
the  dead  were  made.  His  soul  was  supposed  to 
animate  the  body  of  apes.  The  sacred  Bull.  The 
Mendosian  Goat  was  also  used  in  the  worship  of 
Osiris  and  Ra.  The  bull  and  the  goat  were  the 
symbols  of  the  productive  power  of  nature. 
Thoth  or  Tauut,  the  moon  god,  takes  precedence 
after  Ra  and  Osiris.  He  is  the  god  of  letters 
and  reckoning. 

The  Egyptians  attributed  to  the  human  soul  a 
divine  origin ;  they  believed  that  throughout  life 
there  is  a  constant  warfare  between  good  and 
evil  in  man,  and  that  the  soul  of  man,  after  death, 
was  judged  by  Osiris. 

Those  who  were  justified  before  Osiris  passed 
into  perpetual  happiness;  those  who  were  not, 
were  condemned  to  perpetual  misery.  The  per- 
formance of  the  religious  rites  consisted  largely 
of  incantations  invoked  by  the  priests. 

It  is  noticeable  that  in  all  the  records  of  the 

207 


Of 

history  of  Egypt  there  is  no  mention  made  of  a 
flood  or  deluge. 

Herodotus  observes  that  the  Egyptians  were 
the  first  people  who  held  the  soul  to  be  immortal, 
and  to  advance  the  doctrine  of  transmigration. 
This  doctrine  is  also  held  by  Buddhists,  Druids, 
and  Pharisees. 

Cows  were  considered  sacred,  not  to  be  killed 
for  food,  a  practice  which  prevails  to  this  day 
in  India;  cats  were  also  held  in  reverence. 

The  morality  and  correct  living  of  the  Egyp- 
tians is  shown  by  their  ritual  of  confession  of 
the  Dead,  which  it  was  necessary  to  make  to 
Osiris  in  order  to  attain  permanent  happiness. 

The  Chaldeans  worshiped  the  sky,  the  moon, 
and  five  planets.  At  the  head  of  the  Pantheon 
of  the  gods,  stands  II  or  Ra.  Hea  or  Hoa  was 
a  mystic  man,  half  fish,  which  came  up  from  the 
Persian  Gulf  and  taught  man  astronomy  and 
letters. 

He  holds  a  position  similar  to  Neptune,  and 
in  many  respects  corresponds  with  him.  He  is 
king  of  the  rivers;  he  came  from  the  sea  to 
enlighten  the  Babylonians.  He  is  lord  of  the 
abyss,  the  great  deep.  He  is  the  god  of  science  and 
knowledge;  the  teacher  he  is  and  the  inventor 
of  the  Chaldean  alphabet.  He  is  the  god  of  life. 

Hurka  is  the  son  of  Bel  Nimrod.  San,  the  sun 
god,  the  lord  of  light  and  fire,  was  the  ruler  of 
the  day.  It  was  thought  that  the  manifest  agency 
of  the  sun  in  assisting  all  the  powers  of  nature, 
was  the  great  motive  power  of  the  world. 

208 


Prehistoric  Cimeg 

Val,  the  god  of  the  atmosphere,  made  tem- 
pests, and  was  the  destroyer  of  crops,  the  rooter 
up  of  trees,  the  scatterer  of  the  harvests.  He 
gave  the  rain,  and  was  the  giver  of  abundance. 
Bel,  in  character  and  attributes,  is,  like  Hercules, 
the  God  of  strength  and  courage,  and  lord  of 
the  brave ;  the  warrior  who  subdues  foes,  and  the 
destroyer  of  enemies.  He  was  the  god  of 
Babylon,  the  chief  object  of  worship  as  that  city 
grew  in  importance. 

In  the  beginning  all  was  darkness  and  water 
and  monstrous  things  were  generated,  monster 
fish,  and  reptiles  and  serpent ;  creatures  part  man 
and  part  horse,  bulls  with  human  heads,  dogs 
with  four  bodies  and  fish  tails.  A  woman  ruled 
them  all,  Thalatth.  Bel  appeared  and  split  the 
woman  in  twain,  and  from  her  blood,  mixed 
with  the  earth,  men  and  beasts  were  formed. 
Belus  likewise  made  the  sun  and  moon  and  the 
five  planets. 

God  appeared  to  Xisuthrus  in  a  dream  and 
warned  him  mankind  would  be  destroyed  by  a 
deluge.  He  bade  him  bury,  at  Sippara,  the  city 
of  the  sun,  all  writings  extant,  and  to  build  a 
ship  and  enter  with  his  family  and  his  friends 
and  furnish  it  with  meat  and  drink,  and  place 
on  board  a  pair  of  all  the  winged  fowl  and  four- 
footed  beasts  of  the  earth.  Xisuthrus,  built  the 
ship  and  collected  all  that  had  been  told  him  on 
board.  The  flood  came,  and  after  it  had  abated 
he  went  to  Babylon  to  recover  the  buried  writ- 
ings which  he  made  known  to  men. 

209 


of 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AS   THE    MONGOLS    THINK. 
CHINA. 

The  Chinese  held  that  a  period  of  2,267,000 
years  lapsed  between  the  time  when  heaven  and 
earth  first  united  to  the  appearance  man.  Their 
ancient  records  describe  little  herds  of  wanderers 
moving  about  the  forest  of  Shanse,  a  mountain 
district  in  Northern  Central  China,  without 
houses,  without  clothing,  without  fire,  subsisting 
on  roots  and  insects  and  the  spoils  of  the  chase. 
As  they  journey  east  they  came  to  the  Yellow 
River.  They  established  settlements  on  the  fer- 
tile plains  of  southeast  Shan  Se,  and  brought 
with  them  habits  of  industry.  They  lived  in 
tents;  they  have  preserved  the  pattern  of  their 
tents  in  the  roofs  of  their  buildings  of  all  kinds, 
including  their  temples.  They  had  herds,  as  is 
evident  from  the  roots  of  their  language.  Their 
name  for  governors  signify  herdsman  or  pastors 
of  men.  Their  word  signifying  truthfulness,  up- 
rightness, means  "One's  own  sheep,"  which 
would  indicate  their  first  ideas  of  justice  grew 
out  of  the  controversy  about  sheep. 

They    found    the    country    inhabited.      The 

»  2IO 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

aborigines  naturally  retreated  and  became  ene- 
mies of  the  invaders.  They  were  called  "fiery 
dogs  of  the  north,  great  bowmen  of  the  east,  un- 
governable vermin  of  the  south,  mounted  war- 
riors of  the  west." 

Unable  to  withstand  the  invaders,  they  re- 
treated to  the  mountains.  The  invaders  learned 
to  make  huts  of  the  boughs  of  trees,  and  to  pro- 
duce fire  by  friction.  They  reverenced  Tew, 
the  creating,  preserving  and  destroying  power. 
They  used  a  method  of  registering  time  by  mak- 
ing knots  in  cords,  twisted  bark  of  trees,  and  such 
things.  They  evidenced  their  gratitude  to  heaven 
by  offering  the  first  fruits  in  sacrifice.  They 
learned  to  use  :ron  and  copper.  They  made  in- 
vestigations into  botany,  and  learned  to  make 
use  of  the  silk  worm  in  weaving  cloth.  They 
learned  to  write. 

Their  heiroglyphics  speak  to  the  eye.  They 
are  said  to  have  been  invented  some  3,000  or 
more  years  before  the  Christian  Era,  and  pri- 
marily were  pictorial  representations  of  the  ob- 
jects for  which  they  stand. 

Since  Chinese  traditions  refer  to  gods  and  god- 
descended  heroes,  it  is  probable  that  their  early 
religion  was  polytheistic  in  form.  Finally  their 
doctrines,  whatever  they  may  have  been,  seem  to 
have  become  merged  in  a  worship  of  a  "supreme 
ruler,"  which  tenet  appears  to  have  had  little 
appreciable  effect  on  the  beliefs  of  the  people 
who  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes  atheistic, 
their  providence  being  a  vague,  impersonal  crea- 

211 


of 

tion  worthy  of  less  respect  than  the  long  line  of 
ancestors  to  whom  they  dedicate  yearly  festivals. 

In  the  sixth  century  B.  C.  Lao-tse,  traveling 
through  southern  and  western  China,  bent  on 
historic  research,  came  in  contact  with  Hindu 
influences,  the  result  of  which  was  an  infusion  of 
Brahmanic  thought  into  the  well-nigh  obsolete 
dogmas  of  his  native  land. 

He  inculcated  charity,  benevolence,  and  virtue, 
advancing  the  foreign  theories  of  contemplation 
and  reabsorption  into  the  spiritual  essence, 
whence  man  emanated,  after  a  life  of  sensual 
repression. 

The  religion  he  founded,  Taoism,  is  one  of  the 
three  popular  religions  of  China  to-day,  cor- 
rupted by  debasing  practices,  far  removed,  in- 
deed, from  the  system  of  its  founder.  About 
four  hundred  years  subsequent  to  his  death  his 
followers  brewed  a  "drink  of  immortality,"  pos- 
sibly a  fermented  potation  that  considerably  aug- 
mented their  zeal,  and  because  a  potent  aid  in 
the  summary  removal  of  refractory  emperors. 
They  practiced  alchemy,  divination,  and  exor- 
cism, and  attracted  to  themselves  the  ridicule  of 
their  more  advanced  countrymen.  But  all  this 
was  long  after  Lao-tse  had  been  born  to  aged 
parents  like  the  Hebrew  Isaac,  long  after  he  had 
studied  and  traveled,  and  sought  to  further  the 
welfare  of  his  people,  long  after  he  instituted 
the  monastic  rule  of  silence  and  had  founded 
nunneries,  long  after  he  had  mounted  to  heaven 

212 


Cfmes 

on  a  black  buffalo,  aged  one  hundred  and  nine- 
teen years. 

Fifty  years  younger  than  Lao-tse  was  Confu- 
cius, the  sage,  philosopher,  and  statesman,  the 
greatest  name  in  Chinese  history,  the  moralist 
whose  ethical  code  has  moulded  the  thought  and 
dictated  the  action  of  his  countrymen  from  gen- 
eration to  generation.  Admitted  to  public  office 
at  an  early  age,  he  there  instituted  such  advan- 
tageous reform  as  to  win  universal  acclaim. 
Upon  the  death  of  his  mother  he,  in  accordance 
with  the  ancient  rule  long  since  fallen  into  dis- 
use, entered  upon  the  prescribed  three  years'  se- 
clusion after  having  accorded  her  a  costly  burial. 
One  wonders  whether  his  wife,  whom  he  di- 
vorced after  four  years'  conjugal  felicity,  that 
he  might  study  philosophy,  was  not  a  blessing 
in  disguise.  Henceforth  Confucius,  honored  as 
an  authority  on  ancient  customs  and  usages, 
traveled  from  state  to  state,  evolving  his  famous 
system  unadvisedly  termed  a  religion.  Like  all 
reformers,  he  experienced  the  extreme  measures 
of  popular  favor.  To-day  he  was  feted,  to- 
morrow imprisoned.  Often  his  efforts  were  ac- 
corded unmerited  obloquy.  In  despair  he  wan- 
dered from  state  to  state  trying  to  impress  upon 
his  brethren  the  need  of  his  reforms,  meeting 
little  acknowledgment  for  his  services,  and  when 
old  age  and  penury  were  upon  him  he  desisted 
from  importuning  his  impassive  hearers  and  de- 
voted himself  to  composing  those  themes  which 
his  immediate  followers  have  expanded  into  a 

213 


BiODles  of 

system.  After  his  death  there  was  a  reversion  of 
public  feeling  in  his  favor,  and  what  he  had 
worked  to  perform  was  approved  and  accepted. 

Confucianism  is  a  combination  of  ethics  and 
political  economy  with  a  faint  tincture  of  phi- 
losophy. The  literary  Chinaman  who  has  been 
bred  in  the  tenets  of  Confucius,  regards  the  earth 
with  its  recurrent  phenomena  as  a  stupendous 
mechanism,  capable  of  sustaining  itself  through 
countless  ages.  The  laws  of  causation  and  pro- 
gression are  impeled  by  a  mechanical  Intelli- 
gence which  the  good  Mongol  accepts  without 
doubt  or  question.  There  is,  perhaps,  a  leaven 
of  Zoroastrianism  in  this  system  of  manifold 
origins.  Good  and  evil  exist,  and  man  as  an  in- 
telligent being  is  able  to  distinguish  between 
them;  as  a  rational  being,  he  will  select  the 
good,  and  in  this  selection  he  will  be  actuated  by 
material  motives. 

The  archetype  of  government  is  the  family; 
man,  as  a  member  of  a  family,  maintains  cer- 
tain, well-defined  relations  with  every  other 
member  of  the  same  family,  and  in  the  rigorous 
performance  of  such  duties  as  are  evolved  from 
and  tend  to  strengthen  and  confine  those  rela- 
tionships, hinges  the  welfare  of  the  family  at 
large.  Man,  as  the  member  of  a  national  fam- 
ily, practices  the  virtues,  not  because  they  are 
fundamental  moral  principles,  but  because  ad- 
herence to  them  best  fits  them  for  the  just  execu- 
tion of  those  obligations  inalienably  derived  from 
his  office  of  husband,  father,  son,  citizen.  The 

214 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

basis  of  all  activity,  political  and  religious,  seems 
to  be  an  exaggerated  sense  of  filial  respect  which 
has  resulted  in  paternal  despotism  and  ancestral 
worship.  The  Romans  had  their  Lares,  the 
feudal  nobles  their  chapels  containing  the  sculp- 
tured representations  of  their  illustrious  dead, 
and  the  mandarin  a  domestic  sanctuary,  the 
walls  of  which  are  a  mosaic  composed  of  tablets 
dedicated  to  his  fathers.  Practical  as  the  Chi- 
nese are,  accepting  the  present  with  little  or  no 
thought  of  the  mysterious,  far-remote  past,  they 
can  appreciate  the  systems  and  customs  planned 
by  those  who  have  departed  they  know  not 
where,  and  productive  of  lasting  benefit.  Those, 
therefore,  who  had  been  instrumental  in  promot- 
ing the  welfare  of  their  descendants,  are  to  be 
revered  and  honored ;  their  precepts  are  to  be  in- 
culcated and  their  examples  followed  without 
amendment  or  deviation.  This  peculiar  cast  of 
Mongolian  character,  so  truly  represented  by 
Confucius,  is  fully  explanatory  of  the  Chinese 
imperturbability,  exclusiveness  and  dread  of  in- 
novation. He  is  satisfied  with  the  present;  to 
the  immediate  past  he  is  bound  by  a  veneration 
for  those  who  established  existing  order;  the 
future  he  seeks  not  to  penetrate.  When  the  cur- 
tain is  down  and  the  lights  are  out,  then  comes 
the  end.  There  is  no  reverting  to  origins.  Such 
ancient  rituals  as  are  in  order  should  be  sup- 
ported by  every  just  man,  but  as  to  whether 
genii  and  spirits  exist  or  no,  Confucius  himself 
did  not  know  nor  did  he  aspire  to  know.  He 

215 


of 

exhorted  his  followers  to  sacrifice  to  them  in 
accordance  with  ancient  custom,  and  with  that 
his  countrymen  have  been  content  even  unto  this 
day.  Strangely  enough,  though,  the  Chinese  ac- 
cept the  end  without  comment  or  conjecture,  and 
have  remained  proof  against  any  thought  or  dis- 
cussion as  to  a  future  existence,  their  last  rites 
are  solemn  and  costly.  To  be  happy  on  earth, 
thus  runs  an  ancient  proverb,  man  must  be  born 
in  Su-chow,  extolled  for  the  beauty  of  its 
women,  live  in  Canton,  a  metropolis  unrivaled 
for  its  luxury,  and  die  in  Lianchau,  whose  for- 
ests furnish  the  most  desirable  wood  for  coffins. 

As  compared  with  Confucianism,  Taoism,  in 
its  original  conception,  more  nearly  approaches 
our  idea  of  a  religion,  but  Confucianism  has 
been  more  clearly  apprehended  as  better  adapted 
to  practical  ends  by  the  apathetic  Chinaman. 

The  flowery  islands  of  Japan  are  of  volcanic 
origin,  which  manifestation  of  internal  heat,  to- 
gether with  fhe  fructifying  powers  of  the  sun, 
have  been  no  unimportant  factors  in  the  evolu- 
tion of  Shintoism. 

According  to  ancient  legends  the  Mikado  is 
descended  through  a  long  line  of  deific  heroes 
from  the  sun  goddess,  the  principal  object  of 
worship.  Japanese  history,  replete  as  it  is  with 
interesting  adventure,  the  outcome  of  the  strug- 
gles between  the  Shioguns  and  the  emperors, 
and  the  suppression  of  Christianity,  which  was 
attended  by  barbarous  cruelty,  has  produced  an 
innumerable  galaxy  of  local  heroes,  and  as  these 

216 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

heroes,  after  death,  undergo  an  immediate 
apotheosis,  it  stands  to  reason  that  wayside 
shrines  and  temples  are  decidedly  a  positive 
quantity.  The  temples  occupy  elevated  ground 
as  being  nearer  the  eternal  abode  of  Ten-sio  dai- 
sin,  the  mother  of  light,  and  are  surrounded  by 
groves  like  the  Druid  altars.  They  contain  no 
idols,  but  all  around  are  inscriptions  as  to  the 
merits  of  the  departed,  and  before  the  altar  is 
a  mirror,  the  reflection  of  truth.  The  ceremonial 
is  simple  in  the  extreme.  Before  entering  the 
temple  the  worshiper  first  cleanses  himself  at  the 
font,  the  symbol  of  purity.  Entering  he  pros- 
trates himself  before  the  mirror,  and  engages 
in  prayer,  which  being  accomplished  a  few  cop- 
pers are  deposited  in  the  alms-box  and  the  rev- 
erent Shintoist  strikes  a  bell,  a  polite  intimation 
to  the  perhaps  nodding  gods  that  their  attention 
is  no  longer  required.  Shintoism  advocates 
purity  of  thought,  abstinence  from  what  tends 
to  degrade  and  render  man  impure,  observance 
of  festival  and  holy  days,  pilgrimages,  and  flagel- 
lation, and  mortification.  These  last  practices, 
which  prove  how  cheap  the  Japanese  hold  life, 
and  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  system  of  that  hero 
worship  which  insures  to  the  valorous  the  per- 
petuation of  his  name  as  long  as  the  sun  shall 
rise  above  the  Pacific,  antedated  and  paved  the 
way  for  the  institution  of  hari-kari,  the  legalized 
mode  of  suicide.  This  custom,  now  almost  obso- 
lete, was  attended  by  grave  ceremony  after  which 

217 


of 

the  chief  celebrant  calmly  ended  this  life  by  two 
cross-cuts  on  the  abdomen. 

Of  the  two  distinguishing  features  of  Shinto- 
ism,  sacrifice  to  heroes  and  worship  of  ancestors, 
the  latter  is  undoubtedly  of  Chinese  origin.  In 
its  turn  Shintoism  has  modified  Buddhism,  a 
Hindu  importation. 


218 


Cfme0 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WHERE  THE  GRACES  ABIDE. 

In  considering  the  formation  and  development 
of  character,  individual  or  national,  the  study 
of  environment  finds  an  important  place.  Small 
wonder,  then,  that  the  beauty-loving  Greeks 
should  have  peopled  their  rugged  slopes  with 
dancing  satyrs  and  laughing  fauns,  their  mossy 
vales  with  graceful  nymphs,  their  softly  flowing 
fountains  with  niads  enthralled  by  their  own 
reflected  charms,  their  rustling  oaks  with  modest 
dryads,  trembling  before  the  musical  breath  at- 
tuned by  desiring  Apollo! 

The  world  was  formed  when  Gaea,  the  earth, 
first  issued  from  Chaos,  dark,  unbounded  space. 
Then  Tartarus,  the  abyss  beneath  the  earth,  im- 
mediately severed  itself,  and  Eros,  the  love  that 
forms  and  binds  all  things,  sprang  into  exist- 
ence. 

From  the  union  of  Gaea  with  Uranus,  the 
heaven,  sprang  the  Titans,  the  Cyclops  and  the 
Centimanes.  From  her  union  with  Pontos,  the 
sea,  resulted  the  various  sea  deities. 

There  were  twelve  Titans,  who  doubtless  rep- 
resented the  elementary  forces  of  nature.  The 

219 


EUDDle0  of 

three  Cyclopes — Brontes,  thunder;  Steropes, 
lightning;  and  Arges,  sheet-lightning — refer  to 
the  phenomena  of  the  storm.  The  three  Centi- 
manes,  the  hundred-handed,  are  Cottus,  Briareus, 
and  Gyes,  who  represent  the  destructive  forces 
of  nature,  the  earthquake,  the  tempestuous  sea, 
and  the  wind-storm. 

The  most  important  of  all  the  Titans  are 
Cronus  and  Rhea,  who  paved  the  way  for  the 
universal  dominion  of  their  son  Zeus. 

Uranus,  fearing  lest  his  last-born  sons,  the 
Cyclopes  and  the  Centimanes,  might  one  day 
seize  his  power,  buried  them  directly  after  birth 
in  the  great  byss  beneath  the  earth.  This  dis- 
pleased Gsea,  their  mother,  who  thereupon 
prompted  the  Titans  to  conspire  against  their 
father,  and  Cronus,  the  youngest  and  bravest  of 
them,  laid  violent  hands  on  him.  Uranus  was 
bound  with  chains,  and  compelled  to  abdicate 
his  sovereignty,  which  passed  to  Cronus.  But 
Cronus  was  not  destined  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
his  crime.  The  curse  of  Uranus,  who  prophe- 
sied that  he  would  suffer  a  like  fate  at  the  hands 
of  his  own  son,  was  fulfilled.  So  anxious  was 
he  to  avert  such  a  catastrophe,  that  he  swallowed 
his  children  immediately  after  their  birth.  Five 
had  already  suffered  this  fate.  But  their  mother, 
Rhea,  grieved,  determined  to  rescue  her  next 
son  by  a  strategem.  In  the  place  of  her  child, 
she  gave  her  husband  a  stone  wrapped  in  swad- 
dling clothes,  which  he  swallowed.  Zeus,  thus 

220 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

rescued,  was  reared  by  nymphs  in  a  grotto  in 
Crete. 

The  she-goat  Amalthea  was  his  nurse,  whilst 
the  bees  fed  him  with  wild  honey.  That  the  cries 
of  the  child  might  not  be  heard,  the  attendant 
priests  of  Rhea  drowned  his  voice  with  the 
clashing  of  their  weapons.  Zeus  remained  hid- 
den until  he  became  a  mighty,  though  youthful, 
god.  He  attacked  and  overthrew  his  father, 
Cronus,  whom  he  compelled  to  bring  forth  the 
children  he  had  devoured. 

Chief  of  the  celestial  deities  is  Zeus,  the  Jupi- 
ter of  the  Romans,  the  controller  and  ruler  of  the 
universe.  He  is  the  source  of  all  life  in  nature, 
and  from  his  gracious  hand  are  shed  blessings 
and  abundance.  All  the  phenomena  of  the  air  pro- 
ceeded from  him.  He  gathers  and  disperses  the 
clouds,  casts  forth  his  lightning,  stirs  up  his 
thunder,  sends  down  rain,  hail,  snow  and  the 
fertilizing  dew.  With  his  ozgis  he  produces  storm 
and  tempest. 

The  Greeks  saw  in  Zeus  a  personification  of 
that  principle  of  undeviating  order  and  harmony 
which  pervades  both  the  physical  and  moral 
world.  He  is  regarded  as  the  protector  and  de- 
fender of  all  political  order.  From  him  the 
kings  of  the  earth  receive  their  sovereignty  and 
rights ;  to  him  they  are  responsible  for  a  con- 
scientious fulfillment  of  their  duties. 

One  of  the  most  important  props  of  political 
society  is  the  oath,  and  accordingly  Zeus 
watches  over  oaths  and  punishes  perjury.  He 

221 


of 

also  watches  over  boundaries,  and  accompanies 
the  youths  of  the  land  as  they  march  to  the  de- 
fence of  their  country,  giving  them  victory  over 
the  invaders.  All  civil  and  political  communities 
enjoy  his  protection,  but  he  particularly 
watches  over  that  association  which  is  the  basis 
of  the  political  fabric,  the  family. 

The  head  of  every  household  was  in  a  certain 
sense,  the  priest  of  Zeus.  It  was  the  house- 
father who  presented  the  offerings  to  the  gods 
in  the  name  of  the  family.  At  the  altar,  which 
generally  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  court — in 
small  households  this  was  represented  by  the 
hearth — strangers,  fugitives,  and  suppliants  here 
found  shelter.  Zeus  protects  the  wanderer,  and 
punishes  those  who  violate  the  ancient  laws  of 
hospitality. 

Men  early  saw  in  all  the  phenomena  of  the 
heavens  manifestations  of  the  divine  will.  Thus 
the  chief  deity  of  heaven  was  naturally  regarded 
as  the  highest  source  of  inspiration,  and  was 
believed  to  reveal  his  will  in  thunder,  lightning, 
the  flight  of  birds,  or  dreams.  As  the  supreme 
oracular  deity,  Zeus  not  only  had  an  oracle  of 
his  own  at  Dodona  in  Epirus,  but  also  revealed 
the  future  by  mouth  of  his  favorite  son  Apollo. 

Some  of  the  Titans  refused  allegiance  to  Zeus, 
who,  after  a  contest  of  ten  years,  overthrew  them, 
aided  by  the  Cyclopes  and  the  Centimanes.  As 
a  punishment  they  were  cast  into  Tartarus, 
which  was  then  closed  with  brazen  gates.  Thes- 
saly,  the  land  which  bears  the  clearest  traces  of 

222 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

natural  convulsions,  was  supposed  to  have  been 
the  scene  of  this  mighty  war.  Zeus  and  his  ad- 
herents fought  from  Olympus,  and  the  Titans 
from  the  opposite  mountain  of  Othrys. 

After  his  victory  over  the  Titans,  Zeus  shared 
the  empire  of  the  world  with  his  two  brothers, 
Poseidon  and  Hades.  The  former  he  made  ruler 
of  the  waters,  and  the  latter  he  set  over  the  in- 
fernal regions;  everything  else  he  retained  for 
himself.  This  new  order  of  things,  however,  was 
by  no  means  securely  established.  The  resentful 
Gaea  wedded  Tartarus'  son,  and  gave  birth  to  the 
giant  Typhceus,  a  monster  with  a  hundred  fire- 
breathing,  dragons'  heads,  whom  she  sent  to 
overthrow  the  dominion  of  Zeus.  A  great  bat- 
tle took  place,  which  shook  heaven  and  earth. 
Zeus,  by  means  of  his  never-ceasing  thunderbolts, 
at  length  overcame  Typhoeus,  and  cast  him  be- 
neath the  underworld,  or,  according  to  later 
writers,  buried  him  beneath  Mount  Aetna  in 
Sicily,  whence  at  times  he  still  breathes  fire  and 
flames. 

The  history  of  Zeus  and  his  contests  for 
universal  empire  was  a  favorite  subject  of  Greek 
art.  In  the  more  ancient  of  these  works  the 
giants  do  not  differ,  either  in  form  or  appear- 
ance, from  the  gods  and  heroes.  In  later  works 
they  are  represented  with  the  bodies  of  dragons, 
the  upper  portion  being  human. 

All  the  earlier  shrines  were  overshadowed  by 
the  great  national  seat  at  Olympia,  where  the 
renowned  Olympic  games  were  celebrated,  and 

223 


Hi D Dies  of 

where  stood  the  magnificent  statue  of  Zeus  by 
Phidias. 

The  mythology  of  the  Greeks  stands  in  strik- 
ing contrast  to  that  of  the  Romans,  in  assigning 
to  Zeus  a  great  number  of  mortal  as  well  as  im- 
mortal spouses,  and  a  numerous  posterity,  and 
yet  there  was  nothing  farther  from  the  intention 
of  the  Greeks  than  to  represent  the  supreme 
deity  of  heaven  as  a  sensual  and  lascivious  be- 
ing. The  explanation  lies  partly  in  the  great 
number  of  contemporaneous  local  forms  of  wor- 
ship that  existed  independently  of  each  other,  and 
partly  in  the  fact  that  the  lively  fancy  of  the 
Greek  pictured  every  new  production  under  the 
guise  of  procreation.  The  earliest  wife  was 
Metis,  prudence,  whom  Zeus  devoured,  fearing 
lest  she  should  bear  a  son,  who  would  deprive 
him  of  the  empire  it  had  cost  him  so  much  to 
attain.  Soon  after  this  that  he  produced  Pallas 
Athene  from  his  own  head.  His  second  goddess- 
wife  was  Themis,  one  of  the  Titans,  by  whom 
he  became  the  father  of  Horae,  the  houri,  and  the 
Moerae,  the  fates.  Dione  appears  as  the  mother 
of  Aphrodite,  and  Maia  was  the  mother  of 
Hermes.  By  Demeter  he  became  the  father  of 
Persephone,  goddess  of  vegetation.  By  Eury- 
nome,  the  Charities,  Graces,  were  born;  by 
Mnemosyne,  the  muses ;  by  Leto,  Apollo  and  Ar- 
temis. The  youngest  of  all  his  divine  wives,  his 
only  legitimate  queen,  was  his  sister  Hera.  By 
her  he  became  the  father  of  Ares,  Hephaestus, 
and  Hebe.  His  mortal  mistresses  were  many. 

224 


Cfrne* 

Worship  of  Melcarth  or  Hercules,  was  carried 
on  in  Northern  Africa,  beyond  the  Straits  of 
Hercules,  where  it  was  established  in  times  more 
ancient  than  Sidon  and  Tyre.  When  Gades  was 
built  near  the  old  city  of  Erythea,  famed  in  the 
myths  in  connection  with  Hercules  and  Gergon, 
Spain  had  long  been  an  old  country,  full  of  an- 
cient cities  and  rich  in  monuments  of  an  old 
civilization. 

The  story  of  Hercules  is  one  of  the  most  glori- 
ous in  the  mythology  of  Greece.  He  was  the  son 
of  Zeus  and  Alemene,  a  mortal.  Many  labors 
he  performed  ere  he  was  accorded  immortality. 
He  strangled  the  lion  that  stalked  surly  through 
the  gloomy  forests  of  Nemea,  heedless  of 
weapons  sped  by  mortal  hand;  he  destroyed  the 
many-headed  hydra  that  ranged  the  salt  marshes 
of  Lernea,  breathing  venom;  he  captured  the 
swift  hind  of  Diana,  fleeter  than  the  wind;  he 
subdued  the  savage  boar  that  ravaged  Eryman- 
thus,  ploughing  up  the  fresh-sown  fields  and 
treading  down  the  young  corn;  he  turned  Al- 
pheus  and  Peneus  from  their  courses  and  watered 
the  Augean  stables;  he  exterminated  the  man- 
eating  birds  that  frequented  the  shores  of  Stym- 
phalis;  he  delivered  Crete  from  the  raging  bull 
that  roamed  through  the  land,  maddened  by  the 
gods;  he  secured  the  mares  that  fed  on  human 
flesh  in  the  kingdom  of  Bistonia ;  he  overpowered 
and  slew  the  Amazonian  Hippolyta,  and  bore 
away  her  zone  in  triumph ;  he  overcame  the  mon- 
ster Geryon,  and  led  his  herds  to  Argos;  he 

225 


KiDDlcs  Of 

obtained  the  golden  apples  from  the  Hesperides, 
that  fired  the  war  of  mighty  heroes;  he  de- 
scended to  Hades  and  led  forth  the  three-headed 
Cerberus — these  and  many  other  feats  he  per- 
formed, admired  by  gods  and  men.  With  his 
wife,  Dejanira,  he  traversed  a  stony  country, 
and  the  way  being  rough,  Nessus,  the  centaur, 
offered  to  bear  her  on  his  back.  He  offered  her 
violence,  for  which  Hercules  slew  him.  Dying, 
the  apparently  penitent  Centaur  revealed  unto 
the  pitying  Dejanira  a  potent  love  charm.  In 
the  aftertime  Hercules  carried  off  the  princess 
lole,  and  Dejanira,  hoping  to  regain  her  hus- 
band's love,  annointed  his  robe  with  the  philter 
she  had  received  from  Nessus.  No  sweet-smell- 
ing ointment  was  it,  but  a  venomous  poison  that 
penetrated  to  the  very  bone.  Crazed,  Hercules 
sought  to  tear  it  from  him,  tearing  away  the 
burning  flesh  with  it.  For  him  the  end  had 
come;  he  mounted  the  pyre  and  was  caught  up 
in  a  dense  cloud. 

The  sorrowing  Leto,  fleeing  before  the  wrath 
of  jealous  Hera,  hastened  to  hide  in  the  green 
and  silver  olive  woods  of  Mount  Cynthus,  where 
her  children,  Phoebus  and  Artemis,  were  fed  with 
nectar  and  ambrosia  by  the  pitying  Themis. 

The  worship  of  Zeus  was  the  outgrowth  of 
traditions  referring  back  to  the  misty  past,  when 
Atlantis  raised  her  walled  terraces  above  the  en- 
circling ocean,  but  that  of  Phoebus  Apollo  may 
be  considered  distinctly  Greek,  the  impersona- 
tion of  Greek  life  after  the  aboriginal  Pelas- 

326 


ic  Cimes 

gians  had  been  absorbed  and  Hellenic  thought 
further  developed. 

When  we  compare  the  mild  rites  of  Apollo, 
whose  festivities  were  marked  by  a  cessation  of 
all  hostilities,  with  the  sanguinary  practices  of 
the  Aztecs,  we  perceive  what  a  beneficial  in- 
fluence the  former  had  on  the  social  and  political 
progress  of  the  Grecian  States.  Apollo  was  a 
national,  rather  than  a  local,  deity,  and  his 
shrines  were  sacred  alike  to  the  Lacedaemonian 
and  the  Athenian,  the  Theban  and  the  native  of 
Lesbos.  The  oracle  of  Delphi  gained  a  world- 
wide celebrity,  and  was  often  consulted  by 
Asiatic  monarchs  and  Roman  consuls. 

Apollo  as  the  god  of  retributive  justice  re- 
serves his  glittering  arrows  for  insolent  offend- 
ers. He  is  the  god  of  minstrelsy  and  of  pro- 
phetic inspiration,  the  guardian  of  wandering 
flocks  and  the  god  of  medicine.  He  is  the 
founder  of  cities  and  the  sun  god  who  rides 
across  the  heavens  in  a  golden  chariot. 

His  sister,  Artemis,  Diana,  is  the  chaste  god- 
dess of  the  moon  and  the  chase.  She  it  is  who 
watches  over  young  maidens  and  little  children. 
Clad  in  a  flowing  gown,  girt  with  stars,  she 
watches  o'er  the  sleeping  world,  and  the  cres- 
cent on  her  brow  shines  through  the  darkness. 

The  most  important  triad  of  goddesses  was 
composed  of  Hera,  the  supreme  wife  of  Zeus,  to 
whom  matrons  pray,  whose  altars  the  unchaste 
were  prohibited  from  touching;  Pallas  Athene, 
who  sprang,  full-grown,  from  the  head  of  Zeus, 

227 


of 

the  goddess  of  wisdom,  the  patroness  of  agri- 
culture ;  and  smiling  Aphrodite,  born  of  the  white 
of  the  foam,  the  grace  of  the  wave,  the  musical 
sound  of  waters,  the  goddess  of  love  and  beauty, 
whose  eyes  reflect  the  azure  sky,  in  whose  tresses 
sunbeams  are  ensnared,  for  whose  smile  mortals 
may  well  forego  the  destined  joys  of  paradise. 


228 


Prehistoric  Cfmes 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

IN  THE  LAND  OF  THE  MIDNIGHT  SUN. 

The  picturesque  Nordland,  whose  pine- 
crowned,  gneissic  promontories  rise,  precipitous, 
above  the  blue  waters  of  the  fiords ;  where,  in 
the  long  night,  the  Aurora  Borealis  spans  the 
darkness,  a  multi-colored  pennant  flaming  in  the 
wind ;  o'er  whose  sedge-fringed  lakes  the  sea 
fowl  scream;  whose  storm-lashed  isles  are  the 
home  of  the  downy  eider;  where  the  mighty 
maelstrom,  calm  only  at  slack  tide,  rages  at  ebb 
and  flood,  stranding  giant  whales  and  crushing, 
as  a  nutshell,  the  bark  of  venturesome  man ; 
where  the  rivers  leap  from  crag  to  crag  in  a 
shower  of  silver  spray ;  and  in  whose  rocky  pools 
the  salmon  play,  is  the  cradle  of  a  highly  imag- 
inative pagan  mythology,  as  told  in  the  Eddas, 
the  great-grandmother  legends. 

The  elder,  or  poetic,  Edda  is  a  collection  of 
alliterative  verse,  dealing  with  ancient  traditions, 
and  compiled,  early  in  the  twelfth  century,  by 
an  Icelandic  priest.  The  younger,  or  prose, 
Edda,  presumably  the  work  of  various  writers, 
was  compiled  toward  the  end  of  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury, and  treats  of  Scandinavian  mythology  and 
literature  and  skaldic  composition. 

229 


KiD  Hies  of 

Thus  runs  the  elder  Edda:  In  the  beginning 
there  were  two  worlds,  Neiflheim,  to  the  north, 
the  land  of  frost  and  snow,  where  the  twelve 
icy  rivers  ran;  and  Muspelheim,  to  the  south, 
the  radiant  land  of  light  and  heat.  Forth  from 
Neiflheim  flowed  the  cold  streams,  which  hard- 
ened into  ice,  and  from  Muspelheim,  borne  on 
the  air,  came  wave  upon  wave  of  heat.  Heat 
and  cold  contended,  and  the  melting  ice  drops, 
now  instinct  with  life,  produced  Ymir,  the  father 
of  the  frost  giants ;  evil  he  and  all  his  race.  As 
yet  there  was  neither  earth  nor  heaven,  neither 
land  nor  sea,  only  the  frozen  gap  between  Neifl- 
heim and  Muspelheim.  Here  Ymir  dwelt,  nour- 
ished by  the  cow  Aedhumla,  a  creature  formed 
from  melting  frost;  and  here,  even  while  he 
slept,  Ymir  gave  birth  to  the  frost  giants.  A 
man  and  woman  issued  from  under  his  left  arm, 
and  sons  from  his  feet,  and  his  family  increased, 
both  sons  and  daughters. 

And  the  fairest  of  the  daughters,  Beltsa,  was 
without  a  husband,  nor  was  there  any  among 
her  kin  whom  she  desired.  Now  the  cow,  Aed- 
humla, grazing  on  the  snow-covered  pastures, 
came  upon  a  large  stone,  crusted  with  snow  and 
ice.  Immediately  she  began  licking  this  stone, 
the  savor  whereof  being  delectable,  and  the  first 
day  there  appeared  a  man's  hair ;  the  second,  his 
head ;  the  third,  the  entire  man.  And  this  man, 
Buri,  wedded  the  snow  maiden  Beltsa,  and  three 
sons  blessed  their  union:  Odiu,  Vili,  and  Ve. 

Tired  of  his  evil  rule,  the  three  brothers  slew 

230 


Prehistoric  Cimeg 

Ymir  and  carried  his  body  into  the  middle  of 
the  gap  between  Neiflheim  and  Muspelheim,  and 
there  formed  heaven  and  earth.  His  blood  they 
converted  into  the  waters  and  of  his  bones  they 
made  the  mountains.  His  skull  formed  the 
heavens,  and  his  brains  the  heavy  clouds,  and 
from  his  hair  plants  and  herbs  sprouted.  They 
took  the  glowing  sparks  that  were  ejected  from 
Muspelheim,  and  set  them  in  their  stations  in 
the  firmament,  sun,  moon,  stars,  and  meteors. 

Night,  a  daughter  of  the  giants,  became  the 
mother  of  Earth  and  Day.  The  All-fader  who 
first  sent  forth  the  life-giving  heat,  placed  Night 
and  her  ruddy-tressed  son  in  the  heavens,  and 
they  ride  around  the  earth,  first  starry  Night, 
followed  by  her  shining  son.  And  as  she  rides, 
Night  scatters  her  rime  jewels  over  the  sleeping 
earth. 

Among  the  daughters  of  the  giants  was  Mun- 
dilflora,  flower  of  the  earth,  a  lovely  maiden, 
not  dark  like  her  sister  Night,  but  fair  and 
sprightly.  And  her  children,  Mani  and  Sol,  were 
so  surpassingly  beautiful,  that  the  gods,  angered 
by  such  presumption,  took  them  up  into  the 
heavens  and  gave  them  control  over  the  sun  and 
moon. 

When  heaven  and  earth  had  been  formed,  and 
order  had  been  evolved  from  chaos,  the  gods,  the 
Osir,  met  in  their  city,  Asgard,  and  these  twelve 
were  Odin  or  All-fader,  Thor,  Baldur,  Tyr, 
Bragi,  Heimdal,  Hod  with  his  sons  Vidar  and 
Vidal,  Nord  Frey  Ull  and  Forsetti.  Here  they 

231 


Hi D Dies  of 

had  their  court,  and  Odin  sat  upon  the  high  seat ; 
here  they  raised  a  lofty  hall  for  the  goddesses; 
here  they  built  the  smithy,  where  they  fashioned 
golden  implements;  here  they  dwelt  in  a  golden 
age,  and  wrought  heroic  deeds. 

And  the  gods  enjoyed  peace  until  three  beau- 
tiful, but  evil-minded  maidens,  came  from  the 
giant  land,  Jotunheim,  and  dissension  and  ill  will 
fell  upon  the  world. 

And  then  the  gods  decided  to  create  new  be- 
ings, and  first,  the  dwarfs  that  had  been  gen- 
erated in  the  dead  body  of  Ymir,  earthlike,  they 
endowed  with  life  and  understanding.  Next 
Owiu,  accompanied  by  two,  walked  upon  the 
earth,  and  of  two  trees  created  he  man  and 
woman,  whom  he  placed  in  Midgard,  our  first 
parents.  The  rainbow  bridge  they  built  from 
Midgard  to  Asgard,  and  over  this  they  ride  to 
the  sacred  fountain,  where  they  daily  sit  in  judg- 
ment. This  fountain,  Urd,  lies  at  the  base  of  one 
of  the  roots  of  the  great  ash,  Ygdrasil,  whose 
branches  overspread  the  whole  world  and  reach 
up  to  the  heavens,  where  sits  Odin.  Under  one 
of  the  roots  is  the  abode  of  Hel,  the  goddess 
of  the  underworld;  under  another  is  Jotunheim, 
the  home  of  the  frost  giants ;  under  still  another 
is  Midgard,  the  dwelling  of  humans.  -Below  the 
tree,  coiling  among  its  roots,  constantly  gnaw- 
ing, lie  the  serpent  Nidhogg  and  his  venomous 
progeny;  and  as  constantly  the  branches  'of 
Ygdrasil  are  refreshed  by  the  sister  Norns,  who 
draw  water  at  the  fountain  of  Urd.  These 


Cimes 

t 

Norns,  Urd,  Verdandi  and  Skulld,  the  Past,  the 
Present  and  the  Future,  sit  by  the  well  and  de- 
termine the  fate  of  gods  and  men. 

Between  Asgard  and  Midgard  was  Vana- 
heim,  the  abode  of  the  Vanir,  beings  different  to 
man.  And  there  were  Light  Elves,  beings 
friendly  to  man,  and  Dark  Elves,  unfriendly. 

Quarrels  arose  among  men,  and  Odin,  cast- 
ing a  spear  in  their  midst,  created  war,  and  he 
sent  forth  his  strong-handed  maidens,  the  Val- 
kyrs, to  bear  all  heroes  slain  in  battle  to  Valhalla, 
where  they  join  in  daily  combat  and  awake  each 
morning,  free  from  wound  or  scar. 

Grad-will  reigned  in  Asgard  until  Loki,  the 
evil  one,  foster  brother  of  Odin,  was  accorded 
equal  honor.  He  it  was  who  caused  the  death 
of  the  gentle  Baldur,  best  beloved  of  Odin's 
sons,  for  which  he  has  been  chained  under  a  hot 
sulphurous  spring;  but  in  time  he  will  prevail. 

Long  had  Baldur  been  tormented  by  dreams 
presaging  death,  and  the  gods,  fearful  for  him, 
caused  everything,  animate  and  inanimate,  to 
vow  that  he  should  be  exempt  from  hurt. 
Thenceforth,  the  gods,  deeming  him  invulner- 
able, were  wont  to  amuse  themselves  by  shoot- 
ing their  arrows  or  cutting  at  him  with  their 
ponderous  axes.  Loki,  the  mischievous  one,  as- 
certained that  the  parasitic  mistletoe,  considered 
too  weak  to  be  harmful,  had  been  omitted  in  the 
universal  swearing,  and  straight  he  fashioned  an 
arrow  of  the  yellow  wood  and  induced  one  of 
the  gods  to  fit  it  to  his  bow.  Baldur  fell,  and 

233 


BiDDIcs  Of 

* 

great  was  the  grief  in  Asgard.  Then  sent  they 
to  Hel,  who  promised  to  ransom  the  beloved  god 
if  everything  would  weep  for  him.  Every  mem- 
ber of  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  king- 
doms, great  and  small,  wept  for  the  dead  god, 
save  one  old  hog,  Loki  disguised;  and  Baldur 
remained  with  queen  Hel.  For  this,  then,  was 
Loki  imprisoned  under  the  earth;  his  reappear- 
ance will  mark  the  twilight  of  the  gods,  when 
the  days  will  be  sunless  and  brother  shall  con- 
tend against  brother.  Then  the  wolf  Fenrir, 
who  follows  after  Mani  and  Sol,  will  devour 
them,  and  darkness  will  be  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth ;  then  the  great  serpent  that  encircles  Mid- 
gard  will  writhe  in  his  strong  rages,  and  the 
waters  shall  overflow  the  land.  Then  the  Osir 
shall  give  battle  to  Hel,  her  countless  tribe  led 
on  by  Loki;  then  Odin  shall  fall  before  Fenrir, 
and  Thor  shall  yield  to  the  Midgard  serpent. 
There  will  follow  a  conflagration  that  will  not 
be  abated  till  the  whole  world  shall  be  consumed, 
and  the  evil  spirits  will  be  gathered  to  Nastrond 
and  the  pure  to  Gimli. 

But  a  new  earth  shall  rise  above  the  troubled 
waters  and  the  gods  shall  return  to  Asgard,  and 
peace  shall  be  established  forever  more. 

Whence  sprang  these  myths  of  olden  time? 
Perchance  Odin  and  his  brothers  were  the  chiefs 
of  a  nomadic  tribe,  that,  coming  out  of  At- 
lantis wandered  along  the  shores  of  Finland 
and  Lapland,  and  there  fought  with  the  dark- 
skinned,  undersized  aborigines.  Perchance 

234 


c  Cimes 


these  aborigines  were  a  race  of  cave  men,  who, 
driven  to  the  bowels  of  the  earth  for  shelter, 
there  found  precious  ores  and  veins  rich  in 
jewels. 

Coming  as  they  did  to  a  land  where  summer 
follows  winter  in  quick  succession,  with  scarcely 
any  intervening  spring  and  autumn,  they  em- 
bodied this  phenomenon  in  the  story  of  the  con- 
tention between  the  cold  of  Neiflheim  and  the 
heat  of  Muspelheim. 

The  earlier  prediction  that  Fenrir  will  even- 
tually swallow  up  Mani  has  a  touch  of  fatalism, 
a  heritage  from  their  homeland. 

The  story  of  Baldur,  good,  being  overcome 
temporarily  by  evil,  would  seem  to  imply  either 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Iceland  were  brought  into 
contact  with  primitive  Christianity,  which  was 
soon  lost  sight  of,  or  that,  deep-rooted  in  the 
heart  of  man,  from  the  beginning,  has  been  the 
hope  for  better  things,  for  the  ultimate  age  of 
reason  and  truth,  towards  which  we,  centuries 
later,  turn  our  eyes. 

The  Grecian  myth  of  Orpheus  and  Eurydice 
has  a  parallel  in  the  sending  to  the  abode  of 
death  for  the  slain  Baldur. 

In  pagan  Scandinavia,  the  worshippers  of 
Odin  built  spacious  temples  or  erected  large, 
stone  altars,  generally  in  the  vicinity  of  a  well 
and  near  a  sacred  grove  or  solitary  tree,  where- 
on were  suspended  votive  offerings,  washed  at 
the  spring  by  the  priestesses.  Human  sacrifices 
were  not  of  ordinary  occurrence,  though  resorted 

235 


of 

to  in  times  of  universal  calamity.  The  flesh 
of  the  horse,  highly  esteemed  for  edible  pur- 
poses, the  first  fruits  and  the  spoils  of  war, 
were  the  usual  offerings. 

The  yule  month  was  sacred  to  Odin  and  Frey, 
for  success  in  war  and  fruitful  crops,  and  the 
hog  who  first  taught  man  to  plow  the  earth  was 
the  prescribed  offering,  which  custom  was  long 
preserved  in  the  boar's  head,  the  principal  dish 
that  graced  early  English  boards  at  Christmas. 


236 


Prehistoric  Cime0 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

CROMLECHS  AND  ROUND  TOWERS. 

Carnac,  France,  is  remarkable  on  account  of 
the  great  Celtic  monuments,  situated  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  village,  on  a  wide, 
desolate  plain  near  the  seashore.  The  monu- 
ments consist  of  ten  thousand  to  twelve  thou- 
sand rude,  broken  obelisks  of  granite,  resting 
with  their  smaller  ends  in  the  ground,  rising, 
many  of  them,  to  a  height  of  eighteen  feet, 
though  a  large  proportion  does  not  exceed  three 
feet,  and  arranged  in  eleven  parallel  rows,  form- 
ing ten  avenues,  extending  from  east  to  west, 
and  having  at  one  end  a  curved  row  of  eighteen 
stones,  the  extremities  of  which  touch  the  outer 
horizontal  rows.  The  origin  and  object  of  the 
monument  remains  a  mystery.  Similar,  but 
smaller,  structures  are  found  to  the  west  of  Car- 
nac, at  Erdevan  and  St.  Barbe. 

In  many  places  have  been  found  human  bones 
in  connection  with  the  bones  of  extinct  animals. 
Valuable  finds  of  such  were  made  in  the  caves 
of  Lemi  and  Somborve,  in  the  Department  of 
Arige,  France.  In  Engrihoul  and  Engis,  near 
Leige,  Belgium.  The  Nianderthal  cave.  The 

237. 


of 

cave  at  Aurignac,  in  the  Department  of  Haute 
Garonne,  France,  was  found  closed  by  a  stone 
slab,  the  cave  containing  seventeen  skeletons, 
with  the  bones  of  the  cave  bear,  the  cave  lion, 
mammoths,  rhinoceros,  the  elk,  weapons  of  bone, 
stags,  horn  and  ivory,  and  wrought  flint.  Out- 
side the  entrance  was  found  ashes  and  bones,  as 
if  a  funeral  feast  had  been  held  when  the  re- 
mains of  the  humans  were  placed  in  the  cave. 

At  St.  Prest,  near  Chartiers,  were  found  stone 
implements  and  cuttings  on  bone.  Even  in  the 
lower  strata  there  have  been  found  stone  knives 
and  bone  cuttings  at  Thenay,  France. 

Circular  groups  of  stone  found  in  different 
parts  of  the  world  like  those  at  Orkney,  Stone- 
hange,  Avebury,  and  Carnac. 

At  Avebury  two  circles  are  surrounded  by  a 
large  one  of  one  hundred  stones,  standing  up- 
right, there  are  two  avenues  of  stones  leading 
to  these  circles,  made  of  stone  in  double  lines. 
All  are  surrounded  by  a  trench. 

They  were  supposed  to  be  the  Temples  of  the 
Druids,  connected  with  the  worship  of  the  Sun, 
and  in  which  courts  of  justice  were  held. 

Afterwards  there  appears  to  have  invaded  all 
the  lands  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Europe  and 
the  British  Islands,  a  tall,  muscular,  round- 
headed  race,  with  red  or  flaxen  hair,  who  lived 
in  round  houses,  and  who  buried  their  dead  in 
round  barrows.  To  them  are  ascribed  the  stone 
structures,  the  ruins  of  which  are  found  in  many 
parts  of  these  countries.  The  skeletons  in  the 

238 


Cfme0 

round  barrows  are  entirely  different  to  those 
found  in  the  long  barrows. 

The  broad  capacious  forehead  and  square  chin 
of  the  skulls  of  the  round  barrow  men  show  them 
to  have  been  of  a  brave  and  warlike  character. 
Considerable  pottery  was  found,  together  with 
implements  of  stone,  horn,  and  bronze.  They 
were  an  Aryan  race  of  men,  and  extended  from 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  Russia,  from  the  Tiber  to 
the  Baltic,  into  Sweden  and  Norway. 

Along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
both  north  and  south,  as  well  as  at  the  eastern 
end,  there  was,  at  an  early  time,  a  race  of  people 
which  have  been  denominated  the  Mediterranean 
race.  They  made  a  distinct  impress  on  the  civ- 
ilization of  the  world.  They  it  was  who  set- 
tled Arabia,  and  built  up  the  Cushite  or  Ethio- 
pian culture.  They  were  the  progenitors  of  the 
Circassians,  who  still  retain  the  language  and 
manners  of  the  original  settlers,  which  is  distinct 
from  that  of  the  Aryans.  The  Semitic,  Akka- 
dian, the  Egyptians,  the  Berbers,  and  other  Ham- 
itic  races  are  descended  from  them. 

The  Druids  were  common  to  all  the  Celtic 
races.  They  believed  that  men's  souls  do  not 
perish,  but  transmigrate  after  death  from  one 
individual  to  another.  They  taught  astronomy 
and  the  influence  of  the  stars  in  the  destiny  of 
men.  The  priests  wore  on  their  bosoms  a  ser- 
pent's egg,  said  to  have  been  formed  of  the  poi- 
sonous spittle  of  a  great  many  serpents  bunched 


239 


of 

together.  It  was  gathered  at  moonlight;  thus 
collected,  it  became  a  powerful  talisman. 

They  determined  propitious  times  by  signs 
from  the  stars,  the  clouds,  winds,  smoke,  the 
flight  of  birds,  and  other  prenomena;  they  fore- 
told events. 

The  ponderous  Megalithic  remains  of  Britain 
and  France  were  set  up  under  the  supervision  of 
Druids.  Stone  circles  like  those  at  Stennes  and 
Callenish  are  supposed  to  be  ancient  Druid  tem- 
ples. Stonehenge  was  the  Cathedral  of  the  Arch 
Druid,  and  Avebury  had  been  constructed  orig- 
inally in  the  form  of  a  circle,  with  a  serpent  at- 
tached to  it. 

Dolmens,  Cromlechs,  Menhers,  are  Druidical 
erections.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  circle, 
as  well  as  on  the  tops  of  mountains,  may  be 
found  cairns  surmounted  by  a  flat  stone,  on 
which  the  Druids  built  altar  fires  for  worship  and 
sacrifice. 

The  Mount  St.  Michael  mound,  at  Carnac, 
was  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet  wide  and 
thirty-three  feet  high,  and  had  a  square  cham- 
ber enclosed  in  which  was  found  thirty-nine 
stone  celts,  one  hundred  and  ten  stone  beads, 
and  some  fragment  of  flint. 

The  burial  mound  at  Oberea  was  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-seven  feet  long,  eighty-seven  feet 
wide,  and  forty-four  feet  high. 

The  greatest  of  all  the  so-called  Druidical 
monuments  is  the  temple  of  Avebury,  Wiltshire, 
England.  When  perfect  it  consisted  of  a  circu- 

240 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

lar  ditch  and  embankment,  enclosing  twenty- 
eight  and  one-half  acres  of  space;  inside  the 
ditch  was  a  circle  of  great  stones.  From  the 
outside  embankm'ent  there  were  two  long,  wind- 
ing avenues  of  standing  stones,  one  branching  in 
the  direction  of  Beckhampton  and  the  other  to- 
wards Kimiet,  where  it  ended  in  another  double 
circle  of  stones.  Stokeley  supposed  the  idea 
of  the  whole  was  that  of  a  snake,  the  Kennet 
circle  representing  the  head  and  the  Beckhamp- 
ton avenue  the  tail  of  the  serpent.  Midway  be- 
tween the  two  avenues  stood  Silsbury  Hill,  the 
largest  artificial  hill  in  Great  Britain,  which  was 
one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high.  Twenty  of 
the  stones  yet  remain;  the  balance  of  the  six 
hundred  and  fifty  of  which  it  was  composed  have 
been  removed,  and  used  for  building  purposes  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Avebury. 

Avebury  is  a  village  of  England,  in  the  county 
of  Wilts,  six  miles  west  of  Marlborough.  It  is 
the  site  of  the  most  remarkable  megalithic  struc- 
tures in  England.  These  consist  of  a  large  outer 
circle  formed  of  100  stones,  from  15  to  17  feet 
in  height,  and  about  40  feet  in  circumference, 
inclosing  an  area  of  about  1,000  feet  in  diameter. 
This  circle  was  surrounded  by  a  broad  ditch  and 
lofty  rampart.  Within  its  area  were  two  smaller 
circles,  350  and  325  feet  in  diameter,  respectively, 
each  consisting  of  a  double  concentric  row  of 
stones ;  a  stone  pillar  or  maenhir,  20  feet  high, 
occupying  the  center  of  the  one,  and  a  cromlech 
or  dolmen  that  of  the  other.  A  long  avenue  of 


Of 

approach,  now  known  as  the  Kennet  Avenue, 
consisting  of  a  double  row  of  stones,  branched 
off  from  this  structure  toward,  the  southeast  for 
a  distance  of  1,430  yards.  Few  traces  of  this 
immense  erection  now  remain,  the  stones  having 
been  broken  down  and  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  houses  of  the  village,  and  for  other  pur- 
poses. In  the  vicinity  are  two  other  monuments 
of  great  importance,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
belonging  to  the  same  group,  namely,  the  double 
oval  of  megaliths  on  Hakpen  Hill,  Haca's  Pen, 
and  the  artificial  mound  known  as  Silbury  Hill. 
The  Hakpen  over  was  138  feet  by  155,  and  had  an 
avenue  45  feet  wide  stretching  in  the  direction  of 
Silbury  Hill.  This  hill  is  due  south  from  Ave- 
bury,  and  the  distance  from  the  center  of  the  cir- 
cle to  the  center  of  the  mound  is  very  nearly  one 
Roman  mile. 

Scattered  about  through  the  British  Isles  are 
to  be  found  cairns  of  several  different  kinds. 
They  are  mounds  of  piles  of  stone.  Many  of 
them  are  found  near  the  circles  of  upright  stones 
and  at  the  end  of  an  avenue  of  standing  stones. 
Some  cairns  are  formed  round  with  an  earthen 
rampart  and  a  ditch.  Some  have  a  flat  rock  on 
top  and  some  an  upright  stone  pillar.  Human 
bones  have  been  found  in  many,  which  would 
imply  that  their  original  use  was  sepulchral. 
The  bones  are  sometimes  burned,  and  some  are 
enclosed  in  cists  or  stone  chambers  or  rude 
coffins  of  ancient  stone.  Still  others  have  earth- 
enware urns,  which  contain  the  bones.  Along 

242 


Cimes 

with  the  bones  are  often  found  flint  arrow  heads, 
stone  axe  heads,  stone  hammers,  implements  of 
bone,  spear  heads,  and  bones  of  horses  and  oxen. 
Seventeen  stone  cists  were  found  in  one  cairn. 

Each  of  three  cairns  found  at  Memsie,  in 
Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  were  some  three  hun- 
dred feet  in  circumference,  seventy-five  feet  in 
diameter,  and  forty  feet  high. 

At  Clava,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nairn  River, 
near  the  battle  field  of  Culloden,  are  three  such 
mounds.  One  of  them  has  a  gallery  two  feet 
wide,  leading  from  the  south  side  to  a  circular 
chamber  in  the  center  fifteen  feet  in  diameter. 

The  Boss  Cairn,  on  the  banks  of  the  Boyne 
River,  is  some  four  hundred  feet  in  diameter  and 
eighty  feet  high.  It  contains  some  one  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  tons  of  stone.  Around  it, 
ten  yards  apart,  were  placed  standing  stones, 
with  a  standing  pillar  on  the  summit.  The  open- 
ing into  the  mound,  which  is  nearly  square,  is 
lined  by  large  flags,  and  leads  to  a  dome-roofed 
room  at  nearly  the  center  of  the  mound.  This 
passage  was  nearly  fifty  feet  long,  three  feet 
wide,  and  four  feet  high  at  the  entrance,  and 
rises  as  the  interior  is  approached  to  eighteen 
feet  at  the  chamber.  The  chamber  is  in  shape 
of  a  cross,  and  in  each  recess  is  a  basin  of  gran- 
ite. The  sides  of  the  recesses  are  composed  of 
immense  stone,  several  of  which  are  carved.  The 
carving  is  supposed  to  be  symbolic,  and  were 
made  probably  before  the  stone  was  put  in  place. 
The  chamber,  from  the  east  to  west,  is  twenty 

243 


Hit) Dies  of 

feet,  and  from  north  to  south,  including  the 
passage,  seventy-five  feet. 

About  a  mile  on  either  side  are  two  other 
mounds.  They  each  contain  an  opening,  and  a 
chamber  in  cuneform  shape,  containing  basins 
and  carvings  similar  to  the  mound  between  them. 

Mounds  like  these  are  found  in  Scandinavia, 
Scotland,  Brittany,  and  England. 

At  the  great  mound  in  Borrely,  Denmark, 
skulls  were  found. 

The  Danish  mound  on  the  Island  of  Moen  had 
a  diameter  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet, 
and  a  height  of  twenty-three  and  one-third  feet. 
The  passage  was  opened  to  the  east.  The  walls 
of  the  passageway  and  the  chamber  were  made 
by  upright,  flat  stones,  separated  by  small  inter- 
vals, the  interstices  being  filled  with  other  stones. 
There  were  eleven  such  stones  in  the  sides  of  the 
passageway,  twenty  feet  long  and  three  and 
three-fourths  feet  wide;  such  stones  made  the 
sides  of  it,  and  three  stones  formed  its  roof.  The 
chamber  was  oblong,  about  thirty-two  feet  long, 
nineteen  feet  wide,  and  nine  feet  high.  The 
roof  was  made  of  five  large  stones,  and  the  walls 
of  twelve  large,  flat  stones,  placed  on  end.  This 
chamber  had  been  filled  with  mould  to  within 
two  feet  of  the  roof.  Near  the  floor,  nearly  op- 
posite the  passage,  was  found  a  skeleton,  ex- 
tended with  the  head  toward  the  north.  At  the 
south  side  of  the  chamber  were  found  two  skele- 
tons, in  sitting  posture.  On  the  west  side  of 
the  chamber  another  skeleton  was  found,  also 

244! 


Prehistoric  Cime0 

in  sitting  posture ;  close  to  this  were  found  three 
amber  beads,  a  beautiful  stone  battle  axe,  a  stone 
chisel,  and  some  pottery.  At  the  northwest  side 
was  found  another  skeleton,  near  which  were  an 
amber  bead,  a  flint  flake,  and  some  fragments 
of  pottery.  .  One  skull  had  a  round  hole  in  it, 
as  if  trepaned.  It  had  a  very  low  forehead,  with 
projecting  eye  sockets,  and  a  cephalic  index  of 
72.6.  There  were  some  twenty  jars  and  urns  of 
pottery,  all  of  them  inverted.  They  were  deco- 
rated with  hues  and  paints.  There  were  five 
flint  spear  heads,  two  small  flint  chisels,  fifty- 
three  flint  flakes,  from  three  to  five  and  one-half 
inches  long,  and  fifty  amber  beads.  In  the  pas- 
sage was  a  skeleton,  near  the  feet  of  which  was 
a  plain  jar. 

Near  west  Kermet,  in  Wiltonshire,  England, 
was  a  long  barrow,  three  hundred  and  thirty-six 
feet  long,  forty  feet  wide  at  the  west  end,  and 
seventy-five  feet  wide  at  the  east,  and  eight  feet 
high.  The  walls  were  made  of  eight  blocks  of 
stone.  The  chamber  opened  into  the  passage- 
way, and  in  the  chamber  were  four  skeletons, 
two  had  been  buried  in  a  sitting  posture. 

In  Norway,  Denmark,  the  Isle  of  Man,  Ire- 
land, and  Scotland,  there  are  stones  which  have 
been  sculptured  with  mysterious  symbols ;  some 
of  them  have  an  elephant  or  a  horse  engraved 
on  them.  On  one,  near  Glammis,  there  is  a  croc- 
odile's head  engraved  thereon.  At  Wrigle,  a 
chariot  is  cut  into  the  stone. 

Ginaldus  Cambrensis,  writing  in  the  twelfth 

245 


l3tDDlC0  of 

century,  said  there  was  in  Ireland  in  ancient 
times,  in  the  plains  of  Kildare,  near  Castle  of 
Noas,  a  pile  of  stones,  called  the  Giants'  Dance, 
because  giants  from  Africa  brought  the  stones 
into  Ireland  and  set  them  up,  miraculously. 

The  Mound  of  Maeshowe  on  the  Mainland  of 
Orkney  is  92  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and 
about  36  feet  high.  The  door  at  the  base,  on 
one  side,  leading  into  a  passageway,  is  low  at 
the  entrance,  but  about  4  feet  8  inches  high  in- 
side, walled  on  the  sides  and  covered  with  stones. 
This  passage  leads  into  a  chamber  15  feet  square 
and  13  feet  high.  From  each  side  of  the  cham- 
ber, except  the  entrance  side,  there  is  a  passage 
about  3  feet  from  the  floor  leading  to  a  smaller 
room,  about  7  feet  long  by  4  feet  6  inches  wide. 
There  are  carvings  and  Runic  letters  on  this 
wall,  evidently  made  by  others  than  the  builders. 
At  a  short  distance  away  from  the  mound  was  an 
environing  bank  of  earth  with  a  ditch  around  it. 

An  earthwork  structure  was  found  near  Castle 
Combe  in  England  constructed  on  the  top  of  a 
high  hill  in  a  pear  shape,  the  small  end  of  the 
work  being  at  the  point  of  the  hill  overlooking 
the  creek  in  the  valley  below;  the  sides  of  the 
hill  upon  which  it  is  built  are  verp  steep,  making 
it  difficult  of  access.  The  largest  inclosure  is 
at  the  large  part  of  the  pear-shaped  inclosure, 
away  from  the  apex  and  contains  some  8^2 
acres  of  ground.  The  defenses  consist  of  em- 
bankments of  earth  extending  around  the  point 
of  the  hill  or  promontory;  on  the  right  side  the 

(246 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

embankment  is  doubled.  There  are  four  lines 
of  ramparts  across  the  inclosure  from  the  point 
to  the  largest  inclosure.  At  the  point  is  a  high 
mound  from  the  top  of  which  a  view  may  be 
obtained  of  the  valley  all  around  and  of  all  the 
inclosures,  an  ancient  citadel. 

In  Scotland  at  Glen  Feecham,  Argylshire,  is 
an  earthen  mound  in  form  of  a  serpent.  The 
head  is  a  large  cairn,  and  the  body  of  the  earth- 
ern  reptile  is  300  feet  long.  In  the  center  of 
the  head  there  was  found  evidences  of  an  altar. 
The  shape  can  be  best  seen  when  the  whole  of 
it  can  be  viewed  from  the  stone  or  a  rock  close 
to  the  head,  to  the  west,  looking  eastward  at 
sunrise. 

Large  ancient  stones  raised  to  an  erect  posi- 
tion are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  in  India, 
Persia,  Assyria,  Egypt,  Continental  Europe, 
Great  Britain,  and  America.  We  read  of 
Abimelech  being  made  King  of  the  Pilar,  which 
was  in  Schechem,  and  of  Jehoash  being  annointed 
king,  standing  by  a  pillar  as  the  manner  was. 
When  a  king  was  elected,  in  ancient  Britain,  he 
took  a  solemn  oath  to  the  Tauist  stone.  The 
stone  Lia  Paid  was  brought  to  Ireland  for  the 
coronation  of  Fergus  and  afterwards  taken  to 
Scotland.  Later  it  was  brought  to  Westminster, 
where  it  forms  part  of  the  coronation  chair. 
Some  of  these  standing  stones  were  perforated, 
and  to  these  there  was  a  peculiar  sanctity.  The 
stone  of  Odin,  near  the  group  of  stones  at 
Stennus  in  the  Orkney  Islands,  was  the  place 

247 


of 

where  vows  were  made,  and  he  who  broke  the 
vow  there  made  was  infamous.  The  perforated 
stone  at  Madderty,  Cornwall,  was  thought  to 
be  efficacious  in  curing  rheumatism. 

Some  fifty  years  ago,  in  gravel  beds  near  Abbe- 
ville, France,  a  number  of  rude  stone  implements 
made  by  man  were  found,  together  with  the 
bones  of  the  mammoth. 

The  French  Academy  of  Science  sent  a  com- 
mittee to  examine  the  site  and  the  discoveries. 
The  result  of  the  investigation  corroborated  the 
theory  of  the  existence  of  man  before  the  drift 
period. 

So  we  may  believe  that  before  the  last  great 
upheaval  of  the  Alps  and  the  Pyrenees  and  the 
mountains  in  California,  while  the  warmer  cli- 
mate existed  in  Europe  and  America,  man  lived 
in  these  countries. 

The  Calaveras  skull  in  California  was  found  in 
a  shaft,  150  feet  deep,  under  five  beds  of  lava  and 
volcanic  remains  and  four  beds  of  Auriferous 
gravel. 

In  Franklin  County,  Missouri,  18  feet  under 
ground,  some  iron  miners  found  the  remains  of 
a  human  being,  a  skull,  some  ribs,  backbone,  and 
collar-bone,  which  crumbled  when  exposed  to  the 
air,  and  with  this  corpse  were  found  two  rough 
arrow  heads,  some  charcoal,  and  something  like 
coarse  matting. 

Round  towers  of  stone  exist  in  many  places 
widely  separated,  some  150  existed  in  Ireland. 
They  have  many  characteristics  in  common,  the 
248 


Prehistoric  Cimeg 

walls  are  built,  battered  inwardly,  and  tapering 
toward  the  top.  The  doors  are  made  with  a  lintel 
over  the  top,  and  they  have  several  openings  for 
each  story.  There  are  no  staircase  inside.  The 
Moslem  Minarets  are  built  after  the  model  of 
round  towers.  There  is  one  round  tower  in 
Rhode  Island,  several  in  Yucatan. 

One  on  the  Island  of  Moosa  in  the  Shetland 
group,  is  41  feet  high,  open  at  the  top.  The 
space  in  the  center  is  20  feet  in  diameter,  and 
has  a  stone  stairway  to  the  top.  One  is  in  the 
Marcos  valley  in  southwestern  Colorado. 

The  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa,  Italy,  is  an  ex- 
ample of  the  round  tower  found  in  Sicily,  Sar- 
dinia, Algeria,  Arabia,  and  India.  These  in  Ire- 
land have  openings  from  6  to  20  feet  from  the 
ground,  they  are  from  60  to  120  feet  high.  Many 
such  structures  are  found  in  England,  one  on 
the  Isle  of  Man.  There  are  three  in  Scotland, 
and  some  in  Corsica.  They  are  called  Narhags 
in  Sardinia,  and  one  is  at  the  old  port  of  Ra- 
venna. The  circular  tower  plan  was  much  used 
by  Mahometans.  One  at  old  Delhi,  India,  is  250 
feet  high.  They  were  Druid  structures  con- 
nected with  the  worship  of  the  sun,  Phallic  sym- 
bols. 

Similar  structures  are  the  truddhie,  a  massive 
stone,  conical  tower  piled  up  without  mortar  at 
Otranto.  Inside  is  a  round  room,  the  roof  of 
which  is  formed  by  a  series  of  circular  courses  of 
stone  projecting  one  over  the  other.  Sometimes 
the  consecutive  stones  are  constructed  in  the 

249 


of 

same  manner,  and  reached  by  steps  cut  in  the 
walls. 

Thousands  of  these  truddhie  are  found  in 
Italy.  The  Castleria  of  Sitria,  Germany,  fifteen 
of  which  exist  in  the  District  of  Albina,  a  town 
southwest  of  Triest,  are  similar  structures.  Some 
ancient  stone  implements  were  found  in  the  vi- 
cinity which  attest  their  antiquity. 


2501 


Prehistoric  Cimes 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ICONOCLASTS. 

It  seems  hard  to  understand  why  men  will  cir- 
cumscribe and  hamper  the  mind  as  they  do  by 
the  slavish  attitude  they  take  in  clinging  to  the 
Ushur  chronology.  Any  one  who  questioned  it 
was  an  apostate. 

No  one  might  investigate  any  other  evidence  to 
ascertain  whether  it  was  true  or  not.  Any  one 
might  look  at  the  world  and  the  record  made  in 
its  structure  to  see  that  it  was  not  made  at  one 
and  the  same  time  by  any  fiat  of  the  Creator. 

Much  of  the  evidences  appertaining  to  ancient 
peoples  has  been  destroyed  willfully  by  religious 
fanatics,  men  who  had  become  imbued  with  the 
idea  that  their  religious  ideas  were  absolutely 
true  and  all  others  absolutely  false.  They  de- 
sired to  supplant  all  other  religions  with  their 
own  ideas;  the  symbols  of  all  other  religions 
they  must  destroy.  In  their  blind,  unreasoning 
zeal  they  destroyed  not  only  temples,  but  the 
worshipers  therein.  The  conflicts  which  arose 
from  that  motive  have  taken  place  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  and  in  all  ages.  Its  effect  has  been 
to  destroy  many  things  which  would  be  valuable 
to  earnest  seekers  after  ancient  beliefs. 

251 


of 

Universal  intolerance  has  resulted  in  the  de- 
struction of  many  ancient  landmarks,  many  links 
between  the  present  and  the  past. 

Where  a  generous  disposition  to  accord  to 
other  men  the  same  honesty  of  purpose  as  one 
claims  for  himself,  would  have  secured  to  in- 
quirers evidences  which  might  enable  students 
to  ascertain  whence  came  the  religions  of  to-day. 

It  has  been  the  practice  to  destroy  all  the  em- 
blems and  records  of  other  religious  faith. 
Cardinal  Ximenes  burned  the  old  Arabic  manu- 
scripts in  Spain  about  the  year  1500.  The  Gauls 
destroyed  the  annals  of  Rome.  The  Romans 
destroyed  the  records  of  Carthage  and  of  Spain. 
The  Brahmins  destroyed  the  literature  of  Hin- 
dustan. The  Moslem  destroyed  the  books  and 
records  from  Benares  and  Bactria  to  Syria,  and 
at  Alexandria  they  burned  the  library  which  had 
been  collected  from  the  time  of  Alexander  the 
Great  to  the  year  640  A.  D.  All  sects  of  phi- 
losophy had  established  themselves  there,  and  nu- 
merous schools  were  opened.  For  the  advance- 
ment of  learning  a  library  was  established,  in 
which  there  were  collected  700,000  volumes  of 
the  learning  of  all  former  times  in  all  the  lan- 
guages. All  persons  were  permitted  to  study 
and  copy  these  books  and  manuscripts.  A  broad, 
generous  spirit  was  manifest  toward  the  phi- 
losophy of  every  man.  But  the  bigoted,  be- 
nighted Moslems  in  their  religious  zeal,  burned 
all  this  and  thereby  destroyed  what  can  never  be 
replaced. 

252 


Cimes 

The  iconoclasts  of  the  Byzantine  Empire  in 
the  eighth  and  ninth  centuries,  opposing  the  use 
and  honor  paid  to  icons  or  images,  under  the 
edicts  of  Lee  the  Saurian,  destroyed  all  the  mag- 
nificent statuary  and  images  which  had  been  col- 
lected in  ages  past,  because  they  believed  they 
interfered  with  the  spread  of  Catholicism.  This 
destruction  was  continued  under  succeeding  Em- 
perors until  all  the  emblems  and  all  persons  pro- 
fessing any  rival  faith  had  been  destroyed. 

The  efforts  of  Torquemada  at  Salamanca  and 
the  Spanish  priesthood  in  Peru,  Central  America 
and  Mexico,  destroyed  the  historical  evidences  of 
these  peoples,  a  great  loss  to  the  world.  The  de- 
votion of  ignorance  has  been  a  terrible  detriment 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  world. 

There  was  never  any  ground  for  apprehension 
that  the  foundations  of  a  genuine  religious  be- 
lief could  be  injured  by  the  false.  The  investi- 
gation of  the  beginnings  is  not  the  work  of  ig- 
norant or  irreverent  men;  those  capable  of  de- 
velopment themselves  seldom  molest  the  opin- 
ions of  others.  Only  those  who  know  little  of 
this  world  profess  to  know  all  about  the  future 
existence. 

There  are  different  conceptions  of  God,  Israel's 
God,  Jehovah,  was  capricious,  jealous,  and  venge- 
ful, dealing  terrible  punishment  for  slight  of- 
fenses against  himself,  which  made  it  necessary 
to  exercise  great  tact  in  his  worship.  In  the 
earlier  books  of  the  Bible,  God  was  thought  to 

253 


of 

be  friendly  to  the  Hebrews  as  a  people  and  an- 
tagonistic to  their  enemies. 

Every  person  in  the  world  has  the  right  to 
look  at  religious  matters  with  the  eyes  and  mind 
which  the  Creator  gave  to  him  for  his  use,  free 
and  untrameled.  Religion  exercises  a  beneficial 
influence  on  mankind  and,  while  there  is  great 
diversion  and  antagonism  in  the  different  beliefs 
and  creeds,  which  differences  are  chips  and  whet- 
stones, there  seems  to  be  a  golden  thread  run- 
ning through  them  all,  teaching  men  to  be  moral, 
just  and  honest. 

The  tapestry  has  faded,  but  we  would  fain 
catch  up  the  severed  threads  and  weave  again  the 
pictures  of  an  olden  time. 

The  riddles  which  presented  themselves  for 
solution  the  basis  of  the  foregoing  treatise  were : 

First.  Where  did  the  world  come  from,  and 
how  did  it  come  into  being? 

It  is  generally  thought  that  this  question  might 
be  answered  in  the  first  two  chapters  of  Genesis, 
which  contain  two  different  and  inconsistent  ac- 
counts of  creation  of  the  world,  but  when  these 
accounts  are  compared  with  each  other  it  may  be 
seen  that  they  are  but  the  romances  of  two  differ- 
ent writers  neither  of  whom  had  the  necessary 
knowledge  or  information  as  to  be  reliable  as  a 
basis  for  their  narrations.  They  were  acquired 
by  the  Hebrews  during  their  captivity  in  Babylon. 
It  is  apparent  that  the  world  was  not  made  as 
therein  related  at  one  time,  or  in  a  short  time  by 
any  fiat.  The  first  account  is  probably  much 

254 


Cfmes 

nearer  the  course  of  creation  than  the  second, 
but  both  are  so  utterly  untenable  as  that  they 
must  be  cast  aside  as  affording  any  light  on  the 
riddle.  In  the  first  21  pages  of  the  foregoing  has 
been  collected  and  narrated  facts  to  explain  how 
the  Creator  made  the  world  and  where  it  came 
from. 

Second  Riddle.  What  was  the  course  of  de- 
velopment of  life  on  the  earth  ?  This  may  be  in- 
contestibly  solved  by  scientific  examination  of 
the  structure  of  the  strata  of  which  an  effort  has 
been  made  in  the  foregoing  to  adduce  the  facts 
shown  thereby,  in  pages  21  to  36  to  throw  light 
on  the  solution  of  this  riddle. 

Third  Riddle.  How  did  man  develop  and 
reach  the  stage  to  which  he  has  come?  An 
attempt  to  learn  the  course  of  his  progress  has 
been  made  in  the  foregoing  pages  from  36  to  53. 

Fourth  Riddle.  Who  and  what  were  the  peo- 
ple who  built  the  immense  structures  the  ruins  of 
which  appear  in  Central  United  States,  Mexico, 
Central  America,  and  South  America?  Whence 
came  they?  An  attempt  to  solve  this  riddle  is 
made  in  the  foregoing  from  pages  53  to  115. 

Fifth  Riddle.  Where  and  what  was  the  old 
continent  Island  of  Lemuria,  and  what  influence 
had  its  inhabitants  upon  mankind?  An  attempt 
to  solve  which  is  made  in  the  foregoing  pages, 
126  to  130. 

Sixth  Riddle.  How  has  the  concept  in  the 
minds  of  men,  as  to  the  character  and  attitude 
of  the  Almighty  toward  men,  evolved  from  the 


of 

crude  idea  of  savage  man  as  shown  in  the  Bible? 
is  attempted  to  be  solved  in  pages  149  herein. 

Seventh  Riddle.  Where  was  the  center  of  civi- 
lization from  which  radiated  the  different  civili- 
zations which  apepar  to  have  existed  in  all  parts 
of  the  world,  the  ruins  of  structures  made  by 
them  show  remarkable  similarities  as  to  prove  a 
common  source  of  ideas?  An  attempt  to  show 
this  was  Altantis  or  Asgard  which  existed  in 
ancient  times  but  which  has  so  completely  disap- 
peared is  made  on  pages  142  to  147. 

Eighth  Riddle.  What  was  the  center  or  source 
of  the  different  civilizations  which  appear  to 
have  existed  in  Mesopotamia,  Phonecia,  and 
Greece,  Egypt,  and  India?  An  attempt  to  show 
that  this  riddle  may  be  answered  by  stating  it 
was  Ethiopia  or  Arabia  whose  inhabitants  were 
Cushites  was  this  source  which  in  time  obtained 
its  civilization  in  turn  from  Atlantis  is  attempted 
to  be  shown  in  pages  154  to  179. 

Ninth  Riddle.  What  was  the  source  from 
which  came  the  culture  of  the  people  of  Central 
Europe  and  along  the  highway  from  there  to 
India?  An  attempt  to  solve  this  riddle  is  made 
on  page  191.  To  show  this  was  from  the  an- 
cient tribe  of  Aryans,  who  in  the  long  distant 
past  wandered  over  the  plains  of  Northern  Cen- 
tral Europe. 

Tenth  Riddle.  How  are  the  people  of  China, 
Japan  related  to  the  other  peoples  of  the  world 
is  attempted  to  be  solved  on  pages  192  and  fol- 
lowing pages  to  196. 

256 


I9rei)i0taric  Cime* 

Eleventh  Riddle.  Where  did  the  ancient 
Greeks  obtain  the  mythology?  An  attempt  to 
show  this  was  from  Altantis,  whose  rulers  were 
the  Greek  Gods  is  made  on  pages  215  and  follow- 
ing. 

Twelfth  Riddle.  What  was  the  origin  of  the 
ancient  Scandinavian  mythology  ?  An  attempt  to 
solve  this  riddle  by  showing  Asgard  is  identical 
with  Altantis  is  made  on  pages 

Riddle  Thirteen.  What  will  a  comparative 
examination  of  the  ruins  of  ancient  structures  in 
all  parts  of  the  world  develop  as  to  identity  of 
ideas  in  architecture  of  them  all?  Is  attempted 
to  be  solved  in  the  foregoing  pages,  234  to  246, 
by  showing  remarkable  similarities. 

Riddle  Fourteen.  What  effect  has  religious 
bigotry  had  to  becloud  the  evidence  of  things  in 
the  far  distant  past  is  attempted  to  be  shown  on 
pages  247,  and  following  pages. 


THE   END. 


of  Prehistoric  Cimes 


INDEX 

Astronomer    The    First,    51,    52. 

Aryans,    180. 

Aryan   Religious   Ideas,   190. 

Atmosphere,  10,  50. 

Atlantis,  142,   147,    172. 

Asgard,   142,    147. 

Asteteroth,   161. 

Animals   Similarity,  both   Hemispheres, 

Animals  embedded  in  ice,  31,  320. 

Arabia,  153,   175. 

Avebury,  234,  241. 

Azoic  Era,  10. 

Aztecs   Sacrifices,  84. 

Aztec   Government,   87. 

Aztec,  82. 

Aztec  Emigration   Picture,  84,  86. 

Baal  Bel  Sun  God,   175. 

Barrow   Round   peoples,  234. 

Birth  of  the  World,  8. 

Beginning  of   life,    u. 

Brush  Creek,  Ohio,  Serpent  Mound,  66. 

Boulders  in  Drift,   30. 

Carboniferous   Era,   13. 

Cave  Dwellers,  33. 

Chaldea,  175,  208. 

Chaldean   Ruins,   19,   116. 

Chaldean  Pottery,  121,  122. 

Chaldean  Worship,  204. 

Chinese  Thought,  210. 

Calendar   Nahna,    108. 

259 


of 


Cenozoic  Era,  17. 

Chaltepec,  87. 

Center  of  Gravity,  26. 

Climate,  changes  in,  17. 

Coal    formations,   91. 

Constadt  Men,  53. 

Copau,  Central  America,  78. 

Chohula,  82. 

Copper  implements,  64. 

Cromlechs   in   Peru,   108. 

Confucius,  204. 

Cronus,   156,   216. 

Cretaceous   Era,    17. 

Croll's   Theory,   22. 

Creek  Indians,  72. 

Cycles  of  52  years,  84. 

Days  of  the  week,  51. 

Devonian  Age,  12. 

Disease,  42. 

Dionysus,    155. 

Dianas  Temple,  223. 

Early  Inhabitants  of  Italy,  51. 

Early  Inhabitants  of   South   Europe,  56. 

Early  Inhabitants  of  America,  73,  75. 

Early  Inhabitants  of  Mexico,  74,  75,  80. 

Early  Teutons,  55. 

Early  Basques,  56. 

Early  Men  before  the  Flood,  34. 

Eddas,  225. 

Easter  Islands,    129. 

Elowah   River,  Georgia,  62. 

Etrusans  were  Aryan,  54. 

Evolution  of  Concept  of  God,  149. 

Egypt,    206. 

Flood,  Man  before,  34. 

Fire,  Holy,  each  year,   107. 

Fossilized    Rock,   42. 

Gaea,  216. 

Geological  Ages,  5,   10. 

260 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

God  concepts,  149. 

Growth  of  Man,  37,  38. 

Growth  of  Ideas,  41. 

Gravel,  remains  in,  54. 

Greek   Mythology,  215. 

Greek  Housefather,  218. 

Gravity,  center  of  earth's,  25,  26. 

Glacial  Periods,  22. 

Hesperides,  232. 

Hercules,    221. 

Hebrew,  Account  of  Creation,  148. 

Iconoclasts,  247. 

Iberians,  55. 

laphygian  Race,  54. 

India  Peoples,  196. 

Italy's  Early  Men,  54. 

Ireland's    Early    Men,    57,    146. 

Implements   found  in  Ruins,  63,  64,  65,  69. 

Japanese  Sorcerers,  42. 

Jerusalem,   123. 

Kahoka,   Illinois   Mounds,  62. 

Land  Elevation  in  the  past,  57. 

Lake  Titicaca,   102. 

Land  Division  in  Peru,  103. 

Lemuria,  126. 

Louisiana,   125. 

Libraries,    Ancient,    7. 

Maya  Traditions,  93. 

Maya  and  Greek  languages,  54. 

Mayas,   74. 

Mandan    Indians,    72. 

Man  before  the  flood,  34. 

Mezozoic  Age,   15. 

Metamorphis,   42. 

Mediterranean  Races,  235. 

Menominee   Indians,  72. 

Mound  Builders,  68. 

Mycenae,  168. 

Mexico's  Early  Inhabitants,  34,  74,  75. 

26l 


of 


Nahna  Calendar,   168. 
New    Zealanders,     126. 
Nicaraguan  Peoples,  87. 
Names  of  Planets,  51. 
Paleozoic  Era,   19. 
Pan  Traditions,  93. 
Paleuque,  99. 
Peru,  94  to   108. 
Peru  Land  Division,   103. 
Peru   Manufactures,   104. 
Planet  and   Sun   Worship,  97. 
Pelasgians   were   Aryans,    116. 
Planets,  Names  of,  51. 
Pirunas,   100,   102. 
Pueblos,   in  Mexico,  75. 
Periods,    Glacial,    22. 
Phoenician   Cities,   119. 
Physicozoic   Era,    18. 
Phallic  Worship,  41. 
Pyramids,  83,  90,   116. 

Buantenary  Era,   17. 
uatzelcoati,  80. 
Rhea,   216. 

Round  Barrow  people,  27. 
Sacrifice,  46. 
Sabellians,  55. 
Salt,    14. 

Scandinavian  People,  229. 
Silurian  Age,    12. 
Spirits,    141. 
Sky   Worship,   52. 
Sorcerers,  Japanese,  42. 
Serpent  Worship,   67. 
Serpent   Mound,   Ohio,  66. 
Serpent  Mound,   Scotland,  243. 
Serpent   Mound,   Stonehenge,  234,  236. 
Snake  Butte,  South  Dakota,  70. 
Stone  henge,  236. 
Teutons,  Early,  56. 

262 


Prehistoric  Cimes 

Tertiary    Age,    13,    14. 

Tirynth,    115. 

Teocalles,  82. 

Titicaca  Lake. 

Toltecs,   75,   183. 

Tai  Ko  Fokee,  75. 

Week   days,   51. 

Weapons  in  Ruins,  73- 

Wisconsin    Mounds,   65,   70. 

WTorship    Tree,    112. 

Worship  of  Ancestors,  50. 

Worship  of  the  Sky,  52. 

Worship    of    Serpents,   67. 

Worship  of  Sun  and  Planets,  97. 

Planets    of    Teocalles,   82. 

Worms,   Earth,   7. 

Yucatan,  99. 

Yucatan  Uxmal,  100. 

Yucatan   Chichen,  92. 

Zuni  Indians,  78. 

Zeus,  215. 


263 


OUR    NEWEST    ISSUES 


By  Alexandra  Erixon. 
The  Vale  of  Shadows 1.50 


By  Mrs.  Josephine  M.  Clarke. 
The  King  Squirrel  of  Central  Park  (Juvenile) .     .60 


By  William  N.  Freeman. 
St.  Mammon  1.50 


By  Mrs.  I.  Lowenberg. 
The  Irresistible   Current 1.501 


By  M.  Y.  T.  H.  Myth. 

Tales  of  Enchantment i.oo 

A  Tale  Confided  by  the  Woods 75 


By  Ida  Blanche  Wall. 
Comedy  of  Petty  Conflicts 1.25 


By  Elizabeth  Helene  Freston. 

Poems  (portrait)  beautifully  bound i.oo 

Italians  Fornarina  (leather) 3.00 


Compiled  by  Darwin  W.  Esmond. 
Poetry  of  Childhood,  by  Paul  Warner  Esmond 
(Memorial  Edition) 1.50 


OUR    NEWEST    ISSUES 

By  Wilbert  C.  Blakeman. 
The  Black  Hand 1.50 


By  John  W.  Bennett.  4 

Roosevelt  and  the  Republic i.5f 


By  Hon.  Joseph  M.  Brown. 

(Governor  of  Georgia.) 
Astyanax — An  Epic  Romance ..:....  2.50 


By  John  Tracy  Mygatt. 
What  I  Do  Not  Know  of  Farming 75 


By  Esmee  Walton. 
Aurora  of  Poverty  Hill 1.50 


By  Josephine  Merwin  Cook. 
Bandana  Days t    .75 

By  Howard  James. 
The  Wraith  of  Knopf  and  Other  Stories x.oo 


By  George  Fuller  Golden. 
My  Lady  Vaudeville  and  Her  White  Rats.^.,  a.oa 


By  J.  A.  Salmon- Maclean. 

Leisure  Moments i.oo 

A  Stricken  City 50 


OUR    NEWEST    ISSUES 

By  James  A.  Ritchey,  Ph.D. 
Psychology  of  the  Will $1.50 


By  Charles  Hallock,  M.  A.  \ 

Peerless  Alaska  .  x.Ot 


By  Dwight  Edwards  Marvin. 

Prof.  Slagg  of  London 1.50 

The  Christman  1.50 


By  Caroline  Mays  Brevard. 
Literature  of  the  South 1.50 


By  Susan  Archer  Weiss. 
Home  Life  of  Poe  (ad  ed.) 1.50 


By  Irving  Wilson  Voorhees,  M.D. 
Teachings  of  Thomas  Henry  Huxley  (2d  ed.) .  x.Ot 


By  Mrs.  Annie  Riley  Hale. 
Rooseveltian  Fact  and  Fable x.oo 


By  Hon.  D.  W.  Higgins. 
The  Mystic  Spring x-5« 


By  Edith  Nicholl  Ellison. 
The  Burnt-Offering .., 


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